Stuffed eggplants (, , ; ; ; ; ) are a dish typical of many countries.

Variations

In Egypt

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

stuffed eggplant

dolma Dolma ( Turkish for "stuffed") is a family of stuffed dishes associated with Ottoman cuisine, typically made with a filling of rice, minced meat, offal, seafood, fruit, or any combination of these inside either a leaf wrapping or a hollow or h ...

is known as ''mahshi bedengan'' (also pronounced ''betengan'', ). Small eggplants are hollowed out and filled with a seasoned mixture of rice and herbs. The stuffing typically includes short-grain rice combined with chopped

parsley Parsley, or garden parsley (''Petroselinum crispum''), is a species of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae that is native to Greece, Morocco and the former Yugoslavia. It has been introduced and naturalisation (biology), naturalized in Eur ...

dill Dill (''Anethum graveolens'') is an annual herb in the celery family Apiaceae. It is native to North Africa, Iran, and the Arabian Peninsula; it is grown widely in Eurasia, where its leaves and seeds are used as a herb or spice for flavouring ...

coriander Coriander (), whose leaves are known as cilantro () in the U.S. and parts of Canada, and dhania in parts of South Asia and Africa, is an annual plant, annual herb (''Coriandrum sativum'') in the family Apiaceae. Most people perceive the ...

onions An onion (''Allium cepa'' , from Latin ), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus ''Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onion which was classified ...

, and

tomatoes The tomato (, ), ''Solanum lycopersicum'', is a plant whose fruit is an edible berry that is eaten as a vegetable. The tomato is a member of the nightshade family that includes tobacco, potato, and chili peppers. It originated from and was d ...

, all seasoned with spices such as

cumin Cumin (, ; ; ''Cuminum cyminum'') is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae, native to the Irano-Turanian Region. Its seeds – each one contained within a fruit, which is dried – are used in the cuisines of many cultures in both whole ...

, salt, and black pepper. After stuffing, the eggplants are arranged upright in a pot, covered with a tomato-based sauce, and simmered until tender. This method allows the flavors to meld together, resulting in a savory and aromatic dish. Mahshi bedengan is often served as part of a larger meal, accompanied by other stuffed vegetables like zucchini and bell peppers. EgFoodEggplant

''Bedengan mekhalel'' () is a pickled eggplant dish traditionally eaten in Egypt alongside various main dishes. Small eggplants are typically used for this dish, which are first boiled until slightly tender before being stuffed with a mixture of minced

garlic Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plants in the genus '' Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chives, Welsh onion, and Chinese onion. Garlic is native to central and south Asia, str ...

chili peppers Chili peppers, also spelled chile or chilli ( ), are varieties of berry-fruit plants from the genus ''Capsicum'', which are members of the nightshade family Solanaceae, cultivated for their pungency. They are used as a spice to add pungency ( ...

, and spices such as

and salt. Once stuffed, the eggplants are arranged in a jar and submerged in a brine of

vinegar Vinegar () is an aqueous solution of diluted acetic acid and trace compounds that may include flavorings. Vinegar typically contains from 5% to 18% acetic acid by volume. Usually, the acetic acid is produced by a double fermentation, converting ...

and

lemon juice The lemon (''Citrus'' × ''limon'') is a species of small evergreen tree in the ''Citrus'' genus of the flowering plant family Rutaceae. A true lemon is a hybrid of the citron and the bitter orange. Its origins are uncertain, but some ...

, allowing them to absorb the flavors over time.

In Italy

In Italy, stuffed eggplant are cooked in oven, and can be filled with mozzarella cheese (in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

), or with minced meat (in

Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...

In Turkey

Eggplants are stuffed with meat ( lamb) and

rice Rice is a cereal grain and in its Domestication, domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much l ...

or other vegetables. The ingredients include eggplant, minced meat, rice, onion, tomato paste, tomato, parsley, mint, salt, black pepper and sunflower oil. Optional ingredients include

sumac Sumac or sumach ( , )—not to be confused with poison sumac—is any of the roughly 35 species of flowering plants in the genus ''Rhus'' (and related genera) of the cashew and mango tree family, Anacardiaceae. However, it is '' Rhus coriaria ...

, lemon juice, allspice, cinnamon, pine nuts, almonds, walnuts, mint, and olive oil which may be added for a better taste. In Turkey, two famous stuffed eggplant dishes are '' karnıyarık'' and '' İmam bayıldı''.

References

Balkan cuisine Stuffed vegetable dishes Turkish dolmas and sarmas Cuisine of Lazio Cuisine of Sicily Spanish cuisine Azerbaijani cuisine Egyptian cuisine Armenian cuisine Iranian cuisine Eggplant dishes Lamb dishes {{Turkey-cuisine-stub

Variations

In Egypt

In Italy

In Turkey

See also

References