Sheikh El Mahshi (شيخ المحشي )

Sheikh El Mahshi (شيخ المحشي ), stuffed eggplant, is one of the most popular recipes in the Middle East. It’s eggplant stuffed with ground beef and pine nuts and it is usually served with a side of traditional vermicelli rice. It’s super delicious and different than your everyday meals.

Sheikh el Mahshi (شيخ المحشي ), stuffed eggplant, may not be the easiest recipe you may prepare, but it’s definitely worth the work if you love eggplant recipes. My version of this recipe is a bit different than the traditional recipe. Usually, the dish is made with baby eggplants, but I can never find them in the area I live in. So I just opt on doing them with slices of eggplants and roll them up. Another thing I do differently is the way I prepare the beef stuffing. I love the flavor of the final product much better this way. Which every way you decide to cook the Sheik el Mahshi, traditional way or this way, the final product is always DELICIOUS! This is one of my top Lebanese recipes.

HOW TO COOK SHEIKH EL MAHSHI (شيخ المحشي )

The very first thing I always do it start on the eggplant. I buy about 4 large eggplants.  I slice them into about 1/2 inch thick and place them on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle some salt on each side and let them rest for about 10 minutes. Pat them dry and generously brush them with vegetable oil. Bake in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. Let them cool down while you prepare the meat. Another thing you can do is actually fry them half way through. I love frying them as well but the healthier way will be to bake them.

Now to prepare the meat stuffing, finely dice a medium onion. You will also need to finely dice a red bell pepper, chop some cilantro, and mince some garlic. Heat some oil in a frying pan and sauté the onions until translucent in color. Add in the garlic, cilantro and bell pepper. Sauté on medium-low heat for about 2-3 minutes and then add in the ground beef, salt and spices.

Mix everything together to break up the ground beef and continue cooking the beef until it’s fully cooked and the water has dried down. Turn off the heat and add in some toasted pine nuts. This is completely optional if you don’t want to add any nuts. I like adding just a little bit at least because my husband likes it, but my kids don’t like pine nuts.

FINALIZING THE DISH

At this point, you are ready to wrap the eggplants. But before you do that, you need to create the tomato base. Slice some onions and tomatoes, along with some finely chopped garlic and cilantro. In a skillet, heat a couple tablespoons of oil, any kind, and fry the onions until they start obtaining a golden color. Add in the garlic and cilantro and continue stirring to cook those for another 30 second. Add in the tomato and cook until tender, then add in the tomato paste,, 2 cups of water and tomato sauce. Season with salt, black pepper, and 7 spices. If you don’t have 7 spices, you can use a tiny bit of all spice (about 1/2 tsp. along with 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon). Let the sauce simmer for about 3-5 minutes on low, then turn off the heat.

Now, you can cook this 2 ways. Bake in the oven or on the stove. I usually make it in the oven but in some countries, electricity might be an issue or the use of gas ovens can also run them a lot. But starting with the baking way, pour over the sauce into a baking dish. Place a slice of the eggplant on a cutting board or flat surface and top with some ground beef.

Roll the eggplant carefully to prefect rupture because the eggplants are very tender after cooking. Place the eggplant roll into the baking dish and repeat to finish the rest.

Once you are done with that, bake in a pre-heated oven for 30 minutes. Remove and garnish with some fresh chopped parsley and pine nuts. Serve the dish along side with vermicelli rice or white rice if you don’t have the vermicelli needed for the vermicelli rice.

• If you are cooking on a stove, you will go ahead and stuff the eggplants and wrap them. Place in a larger shallow skillet, use the same for cooking the sauce, and place all the eggplant rolls onto the sauce. Cover and cook on medium-low heat for 30 minutes, without moving the rolls around. Once that is done, you can remove, garnish as mentioned above and serve with vermicelli rice.

It may sound overwhelming, but I promise you this dish is so special, especially if you love eggplants and all Middle Eastern cuisines. If you try this Sheikh El Mashi (شيخ المحشي ), stuffed eggplant recipe and like it, please use my hashtag to share it with me on INSTAGRAM for a chance to be featured! Follow me at Cookin’ With Mima on FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST for all of my latest social posts and recipes.

OTHER LEBANESE RECIPES YOU MAY LIKE

• Maghmour (Lebanese Moussaka Recipe)
• Batata Harra (Lebanese Spicy Potatoes)
• Shish Tawook
• Namoura