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Makdous Al-Bathenjan is prepared from baby eggplants stuffed with a mixture of  chopped walnuts, ground red pepper, salt and olive oil, the origin of makdous is Syria, and it has become popular in most Arab countries. Makdous is eaten for breakfast, or snack.

To have perfect makdous, you should choose the right type of eggplants and follow all the steps when preparing makdous.

I’ve purchased makdous form the store to compare it with homemade makdous, store bought makdous has a weird taste, it tastes like  pickles and not delicious. I love our homemade makdous because it is a real traditional Syrian Makdous.

This post is about the exact traditional way of preparing makdous, and this is how my grandmother and my mother make it.

Let’s make Makdous Al-Bathenjan:

Before talking about the method of making makdous, I’ll tell you some information about one thing:

Stainless Steel Pot Lid (I will give it the name “Flat Lid”)

This lid is needed for the technique of boiling the “eggplants”, anything looks like this lid works fine, just try to find something similar to it but should be stainless steel. I have two sizes a big one and small one as you can see in the picture, I will not use both of them, you will know more in the rest of the post.

1, 2, 3, 4. These are baby eggplants, and this is the type of eggplants used for making makdous (try to find the same kind in the picture), approximately 1 1/2 - 2 inches long (3.8 - 5.1 cm).

5, 6. Remove the hat of the eggplants.

7, 8. Cut off the stem of the eggplants as you see in the picture.

9, 10, 11. Arrange the eggplants in a deep pot, the same way in the picture.

12. Cover with water.

13. This is the flat lid.

14. Put the flat lid over the eggplants.

15. Put a heavy thing over the flat lid, this is a piece of marble.

16. Water is above the top level of the eggplants.

17, 18. Turn on heat, once water starts to boil vigorously, lower heat, and gentle boil on low heat. The total time of the whole process is about 60 minutes.

19, 20. This is after boiling.

21, 22. Drain the eggplants.

23. Cover with water.

24. Keep in this water for 10 minutes.

25, 26. Drain the eggplants, then place them on a strainer to drain.

27. Bring another strainer.

28. Line the stainer with a muslin, and set aside.

29. This is coarse sea salt.

30. Create a small vertical opening in the middle of the eggplant.

31. You can see the opening.

32. Stuff eggplants with about 1/2 tsp of coarse salt in each eggplant.

32. Close the opening.

33, 34. Arrange the stuffed eggplants on the cloth, if you have a big quantity of eggplants, so arrange the first layer of eggplants on the cloth, then put another cloth then put another layer of eggplants, but the maximum number of layers is 3 .

35. Cover the eggplants with the cloth.

37. The layers from bottom to top: A large bowl (the blue), the strainer with cloth and the stuffed eggplants, a tray, then a weight on top which is 5 gallon water bottle . You need to put the weight and this is the secret for perfect makdous, the eggplants will need to drain out their water, because if the eggplants still have water, makdous will be not tasty.

38. Keep for 2 days in a cool place, and make sure that the eggplants drained out all of their water.

39. To prepare the filling, coarsely chop walnuts.

40. Add to the walnuts coarse ground red pepper which is not hot , (this red pepper powder is prepared at home in summer by removing the seeds then drying the peppers and making them as a powder), you can use any type of ground red pepper but should be coarse powder and not hot.

41. Add table salt.

42. Add olive oil.

43. Mix all the ingredients, some people add crushed garlic to the filling.

44. Bring the eggplants.

43. This is the same opening you made in the steps 30, 31.

44. Stuff the eggplants with the walnut mixture.

47, 48. Close the opening.

49. Arrange in the jar.

50. This close picture to show you how you should arrange makdous in jar, should be in the same way in the picture.

51, 52. This is how they are arranged.

53, 54. Cover with olive oil, and you can add crushed garlic to the oil in the jar.

55. Close the jar, and keep makdous at room temperature for 1 week, during the week you have to check daily if makdous needs olive oil or not, so add olive oil to keep the eggplants covered.

56, 57. After one week you can serve makdous and eat it, and you have to store  it in refrigerator, and check the first two days if makdous needs olive oil, so add olive oil to keep the eggplants covered, then check every once in a while to see if it needs olive oil or not, because if makdous is not covered with olive oil, mold will grow.

58. The olive oil may solidify in the refrigerator so allow to return to room temperature before serving.

Makdous Al-Bathenjan

From: Family Recipe / Servings:
PDF Text Only / Print With Images

5 kg Baby eggplants, approximately 1 1/2 - 2 inches (3.8 - 5.1 cm) long Water, to boil and cover eggplants Coarse sea salt 500 g coarsely chopped walnuts 250 g coarsely ground red pepper, should not be hot (read my notes in the directions) Table salt 100 ml olive oil, for the filling Olive oil, to cover the stuffed eggplants Crushed garlic - optional

These are baby eggplants, and this is the type of eggplants used for making makdous (try to find the same kind in the picture), approximately 1 1/2 - 2 inches long (3.8 - 5.1 cm). Remove the hat of the eggplants. Cut off the stem of the eggplants as you see in the picture. Arrange the eggplants in a deep pot, the same way in the picture. Cover with water. This is the flat lid. Put the flat lid over the eggplants. Put a heavy thing over the flat lid, this is a piece of marble. Water is above the top level of the eggplants. Turn on heat, once water starts to boil vigorously, lower heat, and gentle boil on low heat. The total time of the whole process is about 60 minutes. This is after boiling. Drain the eggplants. Cover with water. Keep in this water for 10 minutes. Drain the eggplants, then place them on a strainer to drain. Bring another strainer. Line the stainer with a muslin, and set aside. This is coarse sea salt. Create a small vertical opening in the middle of the eggplant. You can see the opening. Stuff eggplants with about 1/2 tsp of coarse salt in each eggplant. Close the opening. Arrange the stuffed eggplants on the cloth, if you have a big quantity of eggplants, so arrange the first layer of eggplants on the cloth, then put another cloth then put another layer of eggplants, but the maximum number of layers is 3 . Cover the eggplants with the cloth. The layers from bottom to top: A large bowl (the blue), the strainer with cloth and the stuffed eggplants, a tray, then a weight on top which is 5 gallon water bottle . You need to put the weight and this is the secret for perfect makdous, the eggplants will need to drain out their water, because if the eggplants still have water, makdous will be not tasty. Keep for 2 days in a cool place, and make sure that the eggplants drained out all of their water. To prepare the filling, coarsely chop walnuts. Add to the walnuts coarse ground red pepper which is not hot , (this red pepper powder is prepared at home in summer by removing the seeds then drying the peppers and making them as a powder), you can use any type of ground red pepper but should be coarse powder and not hot. Add table salt. Add olive oil. Mix all the ingredients, some people add crushed garlic to the filling. Bring the eggplants. This is the same opening you made in the steps 30, 31. Stuff the eggplants with the walnut mixture. Close the opening. Arrange in the jar. This close picture to show you how you should arrange makdous in jar, should be in the same way in the picture. This is how they are arranged. Cover with olive oil, and you can add crushed garlic to the oil in the jar. Close the jar, and keep makdous at room temperature for 1 week, during the week you have to check daily if makdous needs olive oil or not, so add olive oil to keep the eggplants covered. After one week you can serve makdous and eat it, and you have to store it in refrigerator, and check the first two days if makdous needs olive oil, so add olive oil to keep the eggplants covered, then check every once in a while to see if it needs olive oil or not, because if makdous is not covered with olive oil, mold will grow. The olive oil may solidify in the refrigerator so allow to return to room temperature before serving.

Notes and Tips

The quantity of the filling may differ, it depends on how much you are going to stuff in each eggplant, so you may need less amount of the filling or more, or you my measurements will be enough for you.

Makdous Wrap Sandwich

1. Bring Arabic flat bread, I used small size bread.

2. Add makdous to the bread.

3. Cut using a knife just to make it like pieces.

4. Roll up, and serve with hot cup of tea.

Makdous Wrap Sandwich

From: / Servings: 1 Person
PDF Text Only / Print With Images

Arabic flat bread Makdous

Bring Arabic flat bread, I used small size bread. Add makdous to the bread. Cut using a knife just to make it like pieces. Roll up, and serve with hot cup of tea.

This entry was posted on Friday, April 9th, 2010 at 7:19 PM and is filed under Syrian Breakfast. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.