OPEN-FACED STUFFED EGGPLANT
(Original Recipe by Najla Gharagozlou)

Frrom Pari Ardalan Malek's Joy of Persian Cooking: Persian-American Cuisine (2000, Abjad Book Designers and Builders).

12 miniature or small Japanese eggplants
1 green pepper, cut into small cubes
2 cups meat cubes
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 cup cubed mushrooms
1 cup melted cheese, any variety 1
/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder oil for frying

1. Peel eggplants, leaving some skin on, to give them a striped appearance (do not remove green top).
2. Fry whole eggplant in oil briefly.
3. Make a 2 inch cut lengthwise in each eggplant.
4. Carefully remove seeds to form a pocket, then open up each eggplant pocket and place in a greased 13 inch x 9 inch Pyrex dish.
5. Mix cooked ground meat with garlic powder, oregano, mushrooms and green pepper.
6. Season with salt and pepper and mix well.
7. Carefully fill the pocket of each eggplant with meat mixture.
8. Pour melted cheese over dolmehs.
9. Bake at 350-375 degrees for 45 minutes.

Preparation time: 1 hour

Makes 12 dolmehs

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