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

F.Mokhtarian@ee.surrey.ac.uk