Sheikh al-Mahshi is one of those dishes that looks impressive on the table. This vegan version keeps the original sauce and method, with a filling made from soy protein or wheat protein instead of meat.
Ingredients
Eggplant and sauce
- 1 kg small to medium eggplants
- 1 kg tomatoes
- 1 tbsp red pepper paste, optional
- 2 tsp oil
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 medium onion
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
- 2 cups water
- Oil for frying
- Salt
Filling
- 1 large onion
- 1 cup fine soy protein, boiled in vegetable broth for 10 minutes and well drained, or 1 cup finely chopped wheat protein
- A handful of toasted pine nuts, cashews or almonds
- 4 tbsp oil
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp ground bay leaf
- 1 tsp seven-spice blend
- Salt
How to make vegan Sheikh al-Mahshi
1. Prepare the eggplants
Peel the eggplants in stripes, leaving alternating strips of skin, or leave them unpeeled if you prefer. Fry until half cooked, or for a lighter version brush them with oil and roast on a baking tray until a knife goes in easily but they still hold their shape. Cut a slit down one side of each eggplant so it is ready for filling.
2. Prepare the sauce
Finely chop the onion and sauté it in the oil, then add the crushed garlic and grated fresh ginger. Stir in the red pepper paste, black pepper and salt. Add the tomatoes, finely chopped, grated, or blended into a sauce. Simmer over low heat until softened. Add the water and continue cooking until the sauce thickens.
3. Prepare the filling
Finely chop the onion and sauté it in the oil until softened, then add the soy protein. You can omit the soy protein if you prefer, but increase the amount of onion. Add the salt and spices, mix well, and cook for about 15 minutes while stirring. Turn off the heat and add the toasted pine nuts or other nuts.
4. Stuff and bake
- Fill each prepared eggplant with the filling.
- Pour the sauce into a baking dish and arrange the stuffed eggplants on top, with the open side facing upward.
- Bake in the middle of the oven at 180°C for about 30 minutes.
- Serve with rice.
Enjoy 🙂
Why the vegan version makes sense nutritionally
This dish brings together two useful foods: eggplant has measurable effects in blood-pressure research, while soy protein has lowered LDL in controlled trials. A randomized trial on eggplant found improvements in blood pressure among people with elevated or high-normal blood pressure. Study.
Soy protein is more than a visual meat substitute. An analysis of 46 controlled trials found that soy protein lowered LDL compared with non-soy protein. Source.
So Sheikh al-Mahshi stays rich, filling and unmistakably Levantine without meat: plant protein + vegetables + fiber, while the flavor loses nothing.
Try our green squash stuffed with soy protein. For a yogurt-based dish, see our vegan zucchini in yogurt.
