Eggplant Stew (Mnazalet batinjan)

There are so many meat and vegetable combinations in Lebanese cooking that you'd think they might become repetitive.

Yet each one has a distinct character and this mnazalet batinjan (eggplant stew) is no different.

Mnazaleh (general term) is a type of stew that is baked in the oven and I suppose it's less runny than a yekhneh.

This mnazleh has bell peppers and eggplants (aubergines) that are cooked with a gorgeous mince meat in a tomato sauce.

My top tip for adding meat to any type of stew is to fry it off rather than boil it to get that delicious flavour. This is usually done in the early stages with the onions.

If you like stews then definitely try our potato stew and moussaka.

Ingredients

Eggplants are the star of this dish and so they need a little extra care. Cut them into small cubes and sprinkle generously with salt to dehydrate them.

Pat dry with paper towels to get rid of that excess moisture, and even leave out in direct sunlight if possible.

This way they are not as oily when you deep fry them and make sure you get the vegetable oil nice and hot (do the sizzle test) to produce beautiful golden cubes of eggplant.

I usually avoid green bell peppers but for this dish I feel you need to include one for it's distinct flavour. I also used a red bell pepper to complement.

You can use pasatta or make your own fresh tomato sauce using tomatoes with a boost of tomato concentrate.

I also kept the onions firm and visible by sautéing them on high heat in mild olive oil till they charred a little on the edges.

I didn't finely chop any of the ingredients as I want this to be quite a chunky stew that you can scoop up easily with flatbreads.

Instructions

Mnazleh comes together quite quickly and I always surprise myself how very little effort you need to get those big flavours.

Deep fry the eggplant cubes and drain on paper towel

Sauté onions on high heat till slightly charred, add the bell peppers and repeat

Add the ground meat and a few spices, keep frying off till the juices have mostly evaporated

Add the eggplant, tomato sauce, a few sliced tomatoes and a Thai chilli. Place into oven for around 20 minutes

Variations

Mnazaleh dishes are flexible because they are meant to use seasonal produce and whatever you have at hand.

• Zucchini - you can make this exact dish with zucchini instead of eggplant and you don't even need to deep fry them just sauté with the peppers
• Spicier - if you really love your spice add whole chillies on top before you bake
• Vegetarian - of course you can omit the meat and replace with cooked lentils for texture

You can also make this with bite sized pieces of lamb or beef fillet instead of ground meat.

Equipment

I used my cast iron for this as it transmits heat and retains it very well. You could also use a skillet or a deep pan to hold in the ingredients.

Use something you can use for the stove and also transfer to the oven easily without changing pans for added convenience.

You will also need to prepare a plate lined with paper towels for the deep fried eggplants.

Storage

Once it has cooled down, store for up to 3 days in the fridge. You can also freeze for up to 6 months.

Heat up the next day wither in the oven for 10 mins or on the stovetop.

📖 Recipe

5 from 1 vote

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Mnazalet Batinjan (Eggplant Stew)

Eggplant with peppers and meat baked in a tomato sauce

Course Main Course

Cuisine Lebanese, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern

Keyword Comfort food, Country cooking, Eggplant

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 6

Author Zaatar and Zaytoun

Ingredients

• 2 eggplants medium chopped 2cm cubes
• enough vegetable oil for frying
• 1 large onion or 2 small sliced strips
• 300 g ground lamb or beef or mix of both
• 1 green bell pepper 1 other colour, chopped inch wide
• ½ teaspoon 7 spice
• ¼ teaspoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
• 2 teaspoon salt approx
• 1 carton passata approx 500g
• 1 handful plum tomatoes halved
• 1 thai chilli

Instructions

1. Chop the eggplants into cubes approx 2cm thick, add a generous sprinkle of salt and leave out to dehydrate for a few hours, occasionally patting dry with paper towels to absorb extra moisture
2. In a frying pan, add vegetable oil around 5cm deep and heat up well. You can test whether the oil is hot enough by testing one cube of eggplant and see if it sizzles. When the oil is ready transfer the eggplant cubes in batches and deep fry until golden. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels and set aside
3. In a deep pan or cast iron dish, sauté the onions in a generous drizzle (3-4 tablespoons) of vegetable oil on high heat so they char a little on the outside
4. Then add the chopped bell peppers and keep on frying on high heat for another few minutes
5. Add the ground meat and continue stirring, adding the spices and 2 teaspoon of salt for another 5-10 minutes until most of the meat juices have evaporated
6. Then add the fried eggplants and sauté gently careful not to mush the eggplants. Add the passata and top up with a little boiling water to cover so the tomato sauce almost covers the ingredients. Let the sauce come to the boil and taste it to see if it needs more salt. Adjust seasoning as necessary
7. Top with the sliced plum tomatoes and the thai chilli then transfer the dish to the oven at 180C (340F) for around 20 mins until the the vegetables start to brown a little at the edges
8. Serve with fresh flatbreads or rice.

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