Batatas Mashi

The delightful mix of potatoes and meat will leave your palate filled with pure pleasure. This is a popular recipe throughout the Middle East and Europe. If you can not find a tool made especially for coring vegetables an apple corer will work just as well. I always take the leftover meat mixture and use it to make Hashwa which is equally as good all on its own.

1 pound ground lamb
10 medium potatoes
1/2 tablespoon Arabic Baharat spice
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
1 cup water
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 small onion, diced
salt and pepper to taste

1. In a 9-inch skillet on medium heat add lamb and onions. Cook until no longer pink, drain fat. Add meat back into pan with baharat, tomato paste, salt and pepper and pine nuts. Mix well and cook until pine nuts are golden. Wash and peel potatoes. Carefully core out the middle, set aside.

2. With a small spoon carefully fill the potatoes with the meat mixture. Using the bottom handle of the corer tightly stuff the meat mixture until at the top. In a saute pan on medium heat add tomato sauce and water. Carefully place potatoes into the pan and cover. Raise heat to full boil then reduce to low-medium. Cook for 1 hour, carefully switching side half way through.

Yields: 4 servings