Eggplant Casserole Fatet Makdous

Description

Saw this made on "the chew" – recipe is from mais khoudrdaji. The recipe uses pomegranate molasses (available at middle eastern markets) in a meat/eggplant/tomato sauce and is then covered with a delicious garlic yogurt & pine nuts. Looked absolutely wonderful.

Ingredients

• Eggplants
• Ground Beef
• Crushed Tomatoes
• Tomato Sauce
• Onion
• Garlic Cloves
• Greek Yogurt
• Pomegranate Molasses
• Pita Bread
• Pine Nuts
• Flat Leaf Parsley
• Clarified Butter
• Olive Oil
• Salt And Pepper

Instructions

1. Cut the eggplants up into medium-sized cubes
2. Fry them in olive oil until golden brown, set aside and drain on paper towels
3. Season with salt and pepper
4. Fry up 3 pitas, drain
5. Break up into pieces
6. Brown ground beef, onion and garlic
7. Season with salt and pepper
8. Once the onions have cooked down, add the tomatoes and tomato sauce, and pomegranate molasses
9. Let it cook for about 10-15 minutes
10. Then add eggplant to the pan
11. Taste again for seasoning
12. Let it all cook together for another 15 minutes, until all the flavors combine
13. Should be a little tangy / sour from the pomegranate molasses
14. In a bowl, combine yogurt with the mashed garlic
15. It should have a garlicky taste
16. Season with salt
17. In a 13 x9 casserole dish, add bottom layer of broken pita pieces
18. Next fill the dish with the meat / eggplant mixture
19. Top with the yogurt mixture
20. Toast pine nuts in clarified butter
21. Top yogurt with pine nuts and butter
22. Garnish with parsley