al-Baghdadi p. 191/8 (GOOD)

• Take eggplant, and boil lightly in water and salt, then take out and dry for an hour.
• Fry this in fresh sesame-oil until cooked: peel, put into a dish or a large cup, and beat well with a ladle, until it becomes like kabis.
• Add a little salt and dry coriander.
• Take some Persian milk, mix in garlic, pour over the eggplant, and mix together well.
• Take red meat, mince fine, make intosmall cabobs, and melting fresh tail, throw the meat into it, stirring until browned.
• Then cover with water, and stew until the water has evaporated and only the oils remain.
• Pour on top of this the eggplant, sprinkle with fine-ground cumin and cinnamon, and serve.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb eggplant
• 1 lb lamb (makes 30-40 cabobs)
• 1 c yogurt
• 3 T sesame oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 t coriander
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 t cumin
• 1 t cinnamon

Method:

• Cut eggplants in thick slices (approximately 1 1/2″), put in boiling salted water (6 c water + 6 T salt) for 7 minutes.
• Remove, let stand 1 hour.
• Make lamb into small meatballs (may add cinnamon etc. if you wish).
• Fry in melted lamb fat (“tail”).
• When browned, cover with water and simmer until only the oil is left.
• Then fry eggplant in sesame oil until cooked, peel, mash, add salt and coriander.
• Crush garlic, add to yogurt, mix with eggplant.
• Put the meatballs on top, sprinkle with cumin and cinnamon, and serve.

Notes:

• This is really good, but be prepared for garlic.
• I served it with the orange slices to temper the garlic.
• I used beef in place of lamb in this recipe. Adding a little cinnamon to the beef gives it a “lamb-y” flavor.