The Palestinian kitchen is as unique as the country itself. You’re probably used to seeing maqloubeh, m’sakhan, mahashi, and mansaf, but the truth is we have so much more to offer. Each region has dishes it specializes in, using whatever the land offers. I’ll start shedding more light on these dishes in my next recipes, coming your way. To me, food is heritage. We’ve long associated dishes with countries, food is history, and I will fight for this history and preserve it. If you enjoy our Palestinian cuisine, please help raise awareness and call for a ceasefire in Gaza, and help the Palestinian people regain their freedom ♥️
Ingredients
- 750 grams globe eggplant (peeled and cubed)
- 500 grams beef or lamb chunks
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 1 medium onion (chopped fine)
- 1/2 tsp. Seven spice
- 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon (ground)
- 1/4 tsp. Black pepper
- 1/8 tsp. Cardamom (ground), salt to taste
- 7 cups water
- 3 cups yogurt (middle eastern) + 1 cup water + 2 tbs. Cornstarch
- Oil for deep frying
- White or brown rice
- Fresh cilantro and fried nuts
Instructions
- In a 6 quart pot sauté 1 onion with the oil and a sprinkle of salt until translucent add the chunks of meat and brown on all sides on medium heat, add the spices and fry for 30 seconds, add the water and bring to a boil cover and cook on low until the meat is fork tender.
- Put the cubed eggplant in a strainer and sprinkle generously with salt for 1 hour, this will get rid of excess water and help not absorb too much oil while frying. Rinse with cold water and squeeze the eggplant between your hands.
- Heat the vegetable oil and fry the eggplant in batches until golden, place on paper towel to absorb the excess oil. Set aside.
- For the sauce combine yogurt + water + cornstarch and whisk together while it’s cold you can also use a blender, cook on medium heat whisking all the time until bubbles form and the yogurt is cooked through (very essential to keep whisking).