That Translator Can Cook: Fattet Makdous

A layer of crispy pita chips covered in a savory tomato sauce. On top of that are small eggplants stuffed with spiced ground meat and onions, with a lemon-tahini-yogurt sauce poured over them.

 I’ve never eaten this dish except for the one time I tried making it. Let’s just say it did not end well because I misremembered “laban” (milk or yogurt depending on the dialect) as “labneh” (fermented cheese). So it did not sit well with me, the lactose-intolerant person.

Now, this may not be healthiest dish, but it is certainly healthier than many other dishes. Store-bought pita chips are not healthy, but pita chips made by your own hands can be. Due to my allergies, I can’t eat any store-bought pita chips and have to make them myself; I usually season them with salt, pepper, and sumac. You can also save money: a $5 pack of thin pita bread could make almost 500 pita chips.

The recipe calls for ground ‘meat,’ which implies beef, but you could easily replace that with ground turkey if you want to be healthier. For a vegetarian option, there are lots of plant-based meat alternatives that taste just as good. Or so I’ve heard.

Anyways, here are some health benefits from various ingredients of fattet makdous:

• Tomatoes: are rich in vitamins and minerals, improve skin and heart health, and may help prevent cancer.

• Onions: are packed with nutrients and antioxidants, may benefit heart health, contain cancer-fighting compounds, help control blood sugar, may boost bone density, have antibacterial properties, and may boost digestive health.

• Eggplants: are rich in nutrients and high in antioxidants; may reduce the risk of heart disease; may promote blood sugar control; could help with weight loss; and may help prevent cancer.

• Yogurt: is rich in important nutrients and high in protein; may promote digestive health and heart health; may strengthen your immune system; may protect against osteoporosis; and may help with weight management.

• Tahini: is highly nutritious and rich in antioxidants; may reduce your risk of certain conditions like type 2 diabetes and heart disease; may have antibacterial properties; contains anti-inflammatory compounds; may strengthen your nervous system; may help may prevent cancer; and helps protect your liver and kidney from damage.

• Lemon Juice: supports heart health, helps control weight, prevents kidney stones, protects against anemia, reduces cancer risk, and improves digestive health.

Here is how you make this delicious and somewhat healthy dish. The picture and recipe belong to Asmaa B.

Image Source: Facebook

Ingredients

Image Source: Orange Blossom Water

• 1/2 kilo of small eggplants

• Ground meat

• Onion and garlic to taste

• 3 cups of yogurt

• 1/2 cup of tahini

• 1/2 cup of lemon juice

• 5 tomatoes, diced

• Pita bread, sliced and toasted

• Spices and salt to taste

• Oil to taste

• Nuts and parsley for garnish

Instructions

After splitting the eggplants in half, fry them in hot oil, then put them in a strainer until all the oil has drained out. Put [half of] the minced onion in a frying pan and toss until they soften. After that, add the meat and spices. Let it sit for a quarter of an hour until the meat browns. Prep the yogurt, tahini, garlic, and lemon juice and blend well until the mixture looks appetizing.

Image Source: Omaya Cooks

Put the [other half of] finely minced onions in a heated saucepan with a bit of oil and toss them until they’re cooked. After that, add the diced tomatoes, salt, and black pepper, and toss them with an additional spoonful of tomato paste if possible. Cover the pot and let it simmer for a quarter of an hour.

Put the pita bread in a glass baking pan and pour the onion and tomato mixture over it. After that, pour the yogurt and tahini mixture over top of that. After that, stuff the eggplants with the ground meat and arrange them in the glass pan face-up. Garnish the eggplants with the nuts and parsley before serving.

Translators’ Discussion

1. I have found another genericized trademark: Pyrex (بايركس)-that’s where ‘glass baking pan’ comes in. Do you know any other cooking utensil genericized trademarks?

2. I had a little trouble with the last sentence in the first paragraph, particularly the phrase: حتى يصبح عنا خليط لافتة. As you can see above, I translated it as “until the mixture look appetizing.” How would you have translated this phrase?