Egyptian Mesaqaa: Baked Aubergine with Minced Beef
Mesaqaa is made by browning aubergine slices — better in the oven than the fryer — then layering them with a minced-beef tomato sauce and baking at 190°C for 25 minutes. To stop the aubergine drinking oil, salt it, rest it for half an hour, and pat it dry before cooking.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 85 min
- Calories
- 340
Photo: E4024 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Mesaqaa is plain home cooking that turns into something far grander once the aubergine is handled properly. Its one problem is that aubergine soaks up oil — and the oven solves that.
Method
-
1
Prepare the aubergine
Slice the aubergine about a centimetre thick, salt it and leave it in a colander for half an hour to draw out the bitterness and water, then pat it thoroughly dry.
⏱ 35 min -
2
Brown the aubergine
Brush the slices with olive oil, lay them on a tray, and bake at 200°C until browned on both sides.
⏱ 22 min 🔥 200°C -
3
The meat sauce
Fry the onion, then the mince until it changes colour. Add the green pepper, tomato paste, grated tomatoes and spices, and let it reduce.
⏱ 20 min -
4
Layer and bake
In a baking dish: a layer of aubergine, a layer of meat sauce, another layer of aubergine, and the rest of the sauce on top. Bake at 190°C until browned.
⏱ 25 min 🔥 190°C
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Tips that actually matter
- Salting the aubergine isn't optional — it's what stops it drinking the oil.
- For a vegetarian version, drop the meat and add cooked chickpeas.
- A handful of grated hard cheese in the last five minutes gives a golden top.
People also ask
My aubergine tasted bitter. Why?
It wasn't salted before cooking, or the aubergines were old. Choose small to medium ones and salt them for half an hour.
Can it be eaten cold?
Yes — mesaqaa is one of those dishes that improves overnight, and it's often served cold as a mezze.
How long does it keep?
Three days in the fridge in a sealed container.
Cook mode
Egyptian Mesaqaa: Baked Aubergine with Minced Beef
-
1
Prepare the aubergine
Slice the aubergine about a centimetre thick, salt it and leave it in a colander for half an hour to draw out the bitterness and water, then pat it thoroughly dry.
-
2
Brown the aubergine
Brush the slices with olive oil, lay them on a tray, and bake at 200°C until browned on both sides.
-
3
The meat sauce
Fry the onion, then the mince until it changes colour. Add the green pepper, tomato paste, grated tomatoes and spices, and let it reduce.
-
4
Layer and bake
In a baking dish: a layer of aubergine, a layer of meat sauce, another layer of aubergine, and the rest of the sauce on top. Bake at 190°C until browned.
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