باطرش

Batersh is a creamy, smoked eggplant dip (mutabbal) topped with a lightly spiced meat sauce and toasted pine nuts.

A Syrian upgrade on traditional mutabbal

Batersh is a traditional Syrian dip that serves as both a mezze (appetizer) and suppertime main dish. It is an upgrade on the typical mutabbal, or eggplant dip, that we all know and love. Mutabbal is made by mashing smokey eggplant with a fork and mixing it with tahini, yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, and salt. Batersh is made by topping the mutabbal with a rich beef tomato sauce.

This dip comes from Hama, a Biblical city (known as Hamath) that is known as much for its sweet eggplants as for its 1,000-year-old water wheels.  

Enjoy this dish as part of your mezze spread, or as a light dinner to be eaten with pita bread.  

The Ingredients

Eggplants: You will need two large eggplants. You can either grill them or roast them in the oven; both methods are detailed below.

Onion: Use ½ yellow or white onion, diced.

Ground beef: You'll need ½ lb of lean ground beef. Avoid using extra lean ground beef.

Tomato: When making tomato sauce, you should always use most ripe tomatoes you can find. You will need one tomato.

Tomato paste: Two tablespoons of tomato paste for that bold tomato flavour.

Tahini: The star ingredient in many Middle Eastern recipes, tahini adds a creaminess and a nutty flavour to any dish. Use the best quality tahini you can afford.

Yogurt: The yogurt is used to enhance the flavour of the dip. Use 3 tablespoons of yogurt.

Garlic: One fresh garlic clove.

Lemon juice: Always use fresh lemon juice.

Seasonings: You will need allspice, salt and pepper.

How to make batersh/batursh

We will be making this dip in two steps.

Step 1: Make the baba ghanoush base.

Step 2: Make the meat sauce topping.

How to grill eggplants on the BBQ

Prepare a grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grates. Pierce the eggplants all over place onto the grill. Cook, turning occasionally, until skin is charred, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool then peel and discard skin.

How to roast eggplants in the oven

If you don't have a grill, you can roast the eggplants in the oven. Halve your eggplants lengthwise and lay them flat side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in the oven at 450F for 35-45 minutes. Allow the eggplants to cool, flip them over and scoop out the filling. Discard the skin.

Making large batches of roasted eggplant

I love to visit farmer's markets during the summertime. I pick up bushels of apricots (to make apricot jam), berries and eggplants. I usually grill the eggplants, peel them, mash them with a fork and store them in freezer bags to last me all winter. Whenever I feel like having mutabbal, baba ghanouj or batersh, I take out a bag of eggplant from the freezer and prepare the recipe.

How to store batersh

Batersh is a dish that is best served and eaten on the same day. In the unlikely event you have leftovers, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Try to store both layers separately to make reheating easier. The eggplant dip can be served at room temperature and the meat sauce can be heated on the stove and poured on top of the eggplant.

Common Questions

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