Persian Cuisine
Dolmeh-yeh Baadenjaan
Ingredients: (4 servings)
- 8 small eggplants
- 400 grams ground lamb or beef
- 100 grams of long-grain or basmati rice
- 2 medium onions, finely chopped
- cooking oil
- 2-3 teaspoons of tomato paste
- fresh lime juice, 3-4 teaspoons
- sugar, 2-3 teaspoons
- salt
- black pepper
- 1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup mint, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup spring onions, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup garlic chives, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup tarragon, finely chopped (optional)
Directions:
Fry onions in cooking oil over medium heat until golden. Add ground meat and fry further until meat changes color. Add 1/2 cup water, salt, pepper and tomato paste. Mix and cook further until water boils off.
Fry prepared vegetables in cooking oil over medium heat until wilted. Boil two cups of water in a small pot. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and rice and boil further until rice softens. Drain the water and let cool slightly.
Peel eggplants and cut a circle at the tops, then remove insides without creating any holes at the sides or the end. Sprinkle some salt inside the eggplants. Mix prepared meat, vegetables and rice well. Fill the eggplants with the mix and close the tops.
Fry eggplants in cooking oil for 5-10 minutes over medium heat, then place in a pot side by side (avoid stacking them). Dissolve one teaspoon of tomato paste in a glass of hot water and add to eggplants. Add salt, black pepper, lime juice and sugar and simmer for 5-10 minutes until water boils off.
Roxana & Farzin Mokhtarian
Jan 2004
