# 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.

**Egyptian Cuisine · 85 min · 5 servings · 340 kcal per serving**

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.

## Ingredients

- 3 large — aubergines, sliced
- 400 g — minced beef
- 1 medium — onion, chopped
- 4 medium — tomatoes, grated
- 1 medium — green pepper, chopped
- 2 tbsp — tomato paste
- 4 tbsp — olive oil
- 1 tsp — salt + pepper + mixed spice

## 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.
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.

## Tips

- 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.

## FAQ

### 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.

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Source: https://hanakoleah.com/en/egyptian-cuisine/egyptian-mesaqaa-aubergine-recipe
Edited by: Marwa Mohamed
Last updated: 2026-10-30