Ingredients

Check off ingredients as you go

Serves 6

• 2 medium eggplants
• 3 medium potatoes
• 3 zucchini

For the mhamar filling

• 500g (1 lb) ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 beaten eggs
• 2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 5 heaping tablespoons breadcrumbs
• Salt, pepper

For the sauce

• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste
• olive oil
• 1 glass water
• Salt, pepper

If you change the number of serving, consider adjusting cooking times!

Feel free to vary the vegetables according to your taste, some also make them with bell peppers.

1. Wash the vegetables. Peel the potatoes. Peel the zucchini in alternating strips (they’ll hold their shape better). Cut them in half lengthwise, hollow them out with a spoon and place the vegetable flesh in a mixing bowl.
2. In this bowl, chop the vegetable flesh then add the ground beef, chopped onion and garlic (in a mini food processor if you have one), chopped parsley, beaten eggs. Season with salt and pepper.
3. In a lightly oiled baking dish (just enough so the vegetables don’t stick), arrange the hollowed vegetables. Add a glass of water to the dish along with the sauce ingredients. Bake for 1 hour at 210°C (410°F) in the middle of the oven.

Serve warm with tomato sauce or cold with a squeeze of lemon juice.

Tips

• The size of the vegetables gives you an idea of the quantity you can make with 500g (1 lb) of ground meat, you can of course use more or less of each according to your taste.
• For the filling, using a mini food processor to chop the onions, garlic and herbs helps achieve a nicely homogeneous stuffing.
• You can add hard-boiled eggs cut into quarters to the filling.
• For Passover, replace the breadcrumbs with matzo meal.

If you enjoy stuffed dishes, you might also like Yabrak, romaine stuffed with meat, also traditional for Passover.