Shared by Nina Dahan
Shared by Nina Dahan
Onion Mahshi (Stuffed Onions with Beef and Rice)
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Onion Mahshi (Stuffed Onions with Beef and Rice)
Yield: 4 to 6 servingsFamily Journey
BeirutLondon
New York City
Making stuffed onion sleeves can seem intimidating, but is easier than you might expect. Here, they are stuffed with a mixture of beef and arborio rice that's seasoned with allspice.
Read more Nina Dahan's family in "In This Lebanese Family, It’s Not Shabbat Without Hamod" and try her recipes for hamod (Lebanese lemon and potato soup), zucchini mahshi (stuffed zucchini with beef and rice), and bazela (peas with allspice).
Ingredients
4 large yellow onions
For the stuffing
- 1 pound ground beef
- ¾ cup arborio rice
- 1 tablespoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the sauce
- ½ cup pomegranate molasses
- ½ cup water
- 1 ½ tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Preparation
Step 1
Fill up a large pot halfway with water and bring it to a boil over high heat.
Step 2
Peel and cut off the roots off of the onions. Make a lengthwise slit to reach the center of each onion (cutting only halfway through the onions).
Step 3
Once the water is boiling, add the onions into the pot and boil for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the onions soften and their layers start separating. Drain the onions and set aside until cool enough to handle.
Step 4
Make the stuffing: Place the beef, allspice, rice and salt into a bowl and mix until combined.
Step 5
Gently peel the layers of each onion making sure each layer stays intact and does not tear.
Step 6
Place about 1 to 2 tablespoons of the meat mixture into one end of the inside of a piece of onion. Roll up the onion layer to seal the meat mixture and create a torpedo shape. Repeat, filling and shaping the remaining onion layers with the meat mixture.
Step 7
Preheat the oven to 360 degrees.
Step 8
Make the sauce: Place the pomegranate molasses, water, salt and sugar into a bowl and mix until combined.
Step 9
Place the onions into a medium sized baking pan. Pack the stuffed onions tights and place them in two layers if needed.
Step 10
Pour the sauce over the onions. Add enough water to cover ¾ the way up the onions. Cover the baking pan with aluminum foil and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes or until the rice and meat is cooked. Uncover and continue cooking for another 15 to 20 minutes until the sauce thickens.
Step 11
Serve hot.
