Eggplant m’nazleh
by Joseph Abboud owner of Rumi
4
120 minutes
Lebanese
Eggplant m’nazleh from Rumi: Food of Middle Eastern Appearance by Joseph Abboud, page 134. "As I wrote this book, I became aware of just how much my mother’s cooking had influenced me through osmosis, even though we never cooked together. Eggplant (aubergine) m’nazleh makes an appearance mostly during Lent, when many Lebanese Christians abstain from meat and dairy products." Read more from our chat with Joseph here.
Ingredients
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced
1 green chilli, deseeded and finely sliced
200 ml extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, cut into 3 cm (11⁄4 in) strips
1 green capsicum (pepper), cut into 5 cm (2 in) pieces
1 teaspoon salt
1 tin chopped tomatoes, (400 g / 14 oz)
½ teaspoon Baharat
2 eggplants (aubergines), peeled and cut into large chunks about the size of a golf ball
Directions
Fry the garlic and chilli in the olive oil until fragrant, but don’t allow it to colour. Add the onion, cover and sweat over a low heat until very soft, stirring occasionally.
Add the capsicum and salt and cook, covered, till very soft, about 30 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and bring to the boil. Don’t forget to stir all the way to the bottom of the pot to prevent it sticking.
Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 2 hours, or until the tomato has broken down and the oil has separated.
Stir in the baharat and check the seasoning.
Heat 2 cm (3/4 in) oil in a frying pan and fry the eggplant until brown all over. Better still, use a deep-fryer.
Drain in a colander and season with a pinch of salt. Leave in the colander for around 10 minutes to allow any excess oil to drain away.
Add to the sauce and simmer until the eggplant is very soft.
