ONIONS STUFFED WITH MEAT AND RICE (Basal Mahshi)

When one thinks of stuffed onions, usually stuffing a whole onion comes to mind. I always stuffed onions in this way until a few years ago when a friend in the UAE invited me to a meal in which was included Basal Mahshi, a dish of stuffed onion layers. From then on, I have forgone stuffing the whole onion and, instead, have been stuffing onion layers in the same way as stuffing cabbage leaves. It simplifies the stuffing of an onion an ancient food in the eastern Arab lands. The dish likely came to the Arab Gulf countries with the Greek, Turkish, Iraqi or the Greater Syria expatriates, possibly after the discovery of oil but more likely during the Ottoman period. Dissolved tamarind paste, although not having the same ‘zing’ in flavor, can be used as a replacement for the pomegranate syrup. Tamarind is a sour condiment used in the Arab Gulf countries and other Asiatic lands. For those who ponder the use of pomegranate juice in place of the pomegranate syrup, it would be much better to substitute tamarind paste than pomegranate juice since the juice is much milder than the concentrate. Once the stuffed onion layers are cooked they will be very tender. For this reason, it is important to invert the saucepan onto a serving platter. Other, less gentle ways of removing the stuffed onion layers, will likely cause the onion layers to tear or the stuffing to fall out. Also, when inverting the pan, the onion hearts cooked at the bottom end up on top, which makes a great presentation.

SERVES: 6

SOAKING TIME: 5 minutes

PREP TIME: 1 hour 45 minutes

COOKING TIME: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 very large white onions (4 lbs/2 kg total)

STUFFING:

• 1/2 lb (250 g) ground beef or lamb
• 1/2 cup (100 g) uncooked Basmati or other
• white long-grain rice, soaked for 5 minutes, thoroughly rinsed and drained
• 1 bunch green onions (scallions) (about 1/4 lb/125 g), trimmed and thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed to a paste
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sumac
• 1 teaspoon Arabian Gulf Spice Mix (Baharat)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 4 tablespoons pomegranate syrup dissolved in 2 cups (500 ml) hot water along with
• 1/2 teaspoon salt or 2 tablespoons tamarind paste dissolved in 2 cups (500 ml)
• hot water along with 1/2 teaspoon salt

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Place the 4 whole onions in a medium saucepan. Add enough water to cover the onion and bring to a boil. Cook over medium heat until just tender. Drain and set aside to cool.
2. Place the ingredients for the Stuffing in a mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly and set aside.
3. Slice the whole onions in half lengthwise. Carefully separate the layers of cooked onion and remove the center hearts. Chop the hearts and spread on the bottom of a medium saucepan with a lid.
4. Place 1 tablespoon of the Stuffing on an onion layer. Roll the layer around the Stuffing to close it and place it seam side down in the saucepan. Repeat with the remainder of the onion layers and Stuffing, laying the stuffed onion rolls as close to each other as possible. to keep the rolled onion submerged in its cooking liquid, place an inverted plate over the top then pour the pomegranate syrup solution over the onion and enough of water to barely cover the plate. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook over medium-low heat for 40 minutes. remove the inverted plate. Turn the contents onto a serving dish and serve warm.