Maaloube Batenjein (upside down eggplant with meat and rice)

This is a lebanese main dish, made from eggplant, minced meat and rice. I remember the first time I tasted it was at my in-laws house. I asked my mother-in-law how she made it, and she told me “the most important thing is not to stir it, so when you turn it looks neat like a piece of cake”.  It is a nice dish, and today I would like to share my mother-in-law’s recipe with you.

Ingredients:

• 400 gs of large eggplant
• 200 gs of minced meat
• 1 onion chopped finely
• 2 cups of long grain rice ( or basmati rice if you prefer)
•  frying oil, cooking oil, salt and seven spices
• pine seeds fried with a small spoon of butter

Preparation:

• Peel the eggplant and cut it into thin slices, fry them in a frying pan with the frying oil until they become brown then drain them
• In a medium size pot, heat the cooking oil and fry the onion, add the minced meat and fry it with the onion until is well cooked then season it with salt and seven spices
• Put 2 cups of rice in 2 cups of boiling water for about half an hour in a bowl until the rice absorbs all the water
• In the pot keep the fried meat with the onion, and take care that you press them in the bottom of the pot with the back of a spoon
• Put over the meat, the fried eggplant, and then the rice
• Cover with 2 cups of water and cook on a very low heat, WITHOUT STIRRING
• When the rice is completely dry, put the fire off, and let it set in the pot for few minutes
• Turn it upside down in a serving plate and decorate it with the pine seeds fried
• Serve it with yogurt mixed with cucumber and garlic, with a pinch of dried mint

ET VOILA.. C’EST TOUT:)