Eggplant Casserole (fatet Makdous)

Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 3 large eggplants
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 (16 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 onion, finely chopped (or 3 shallots)
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves (mashed in a mortar and pestle to use with yogurt)
• 3 -4 cups plain greek yogurt
• 3 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
• 3 pita bread
• 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
• 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup clarified butter
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Recipe

• 1 cut the eggplants up into medium-sized cubes. fry them in olive oil until golden brown, set aside and drain on paper towels. season with salt and pepper. fry up 3 pitas, drain. break up into pieces.
• 2 brown ground beef, onion and garlic. season with salt and pepper. once the onions have cooked down, add the tomatoes and tomato sauce, and pomegranate molasses. let it cook for about 10-15 minutes; then add eggplant to the pan. taste again for seasoning. let it all cook together for another 15 minutes, until all the flavors combine. should be a little tangy/sour from the pomegranate molasses.
• 3 in a bowl, combine yogurt with the mashed garlic. it should have a garlicky taste. season with salt.
• 4 in a 13 x9 casserole dish, add bottom layer of broken pita pieces. next fill the dish with the meat/eggplant mixture. top with the yogurt mixture. toast pine nuts in clarified butter. top yogurt with pine nuts and butter. garnish with parsley.