Shaikh Al Mahshi and Vermicelli Rice (Serves 3-4)

Description

Cooking Instructions:

Arabic Tomato Sauce

1. Heat a pan on medium heat. Add oil and sauté the onion and until cooked. Add the cinnamon powder, coriander powder, salt, and 7 spice and mix for a full minute.
2. Add the tomato paste and tomato puree and stir till it reaches a boil. Remove the pan from heat and keep aside.

Meat Filling

1. Heat a pan on medium heat. Add oil and sauté the onions until cooked. Add the minced beef and let sit till the water is completely reduced.
2. Add cinnamon powder, coriander powder, salt, and 7 spice and mix it for a full minute.
3. Add the tomato paste and chopped tomato and stir for 8 minutes or till all the ingredients are cooked. Then remove from heat and keep aside.

Eggplant  

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C.
2. Season the eggplant with salt and olive oil and place on an oven tray.
3. Cook in the preheated oven for 6 minutes.
4. Stuff the eggplant with your preferred quantity of the meat filling.

Assembling

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C.
2. Layer the sauce at the bottom of an oven safe pan. Then place the stuffed eggplant over the sauce. Add the mozzarella cheese place in the oven and cook for 15 minutes.
3. Top with pine seeds and chopped parsley and serve with vermicelli rice.

Vermicelli Rice

1. 1. Wash the rice well and set it aside.
   2. In a saucepan, heat the ghee, add the vermicelli and stir until golden in color.
   3. Remove the saucepan from the heat for a few seconds, adding the 700ml of water, the salt and white pepper. Return to the heat.
   4. Once the water comes to a boil, add the rice and let the mixture boil for about 10 minutes until the rice grains are cooked.