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Meat, Maghreb and Middle East

Tepsi baytinijan with rice

Tepsi baytinijan is a Levantine oven bake with beef meatballs, golden eggplant and potatoes, all covered in tomato sauce. It serves 4, takes 1 hour 25 minutes, is rated easy, and costs about €2.80 per person. The key is roasting the vegetables until golden before assembling, and keeping the sauce thick so it doesn't make the dish watery.

Tonight, a Levantine oven bake, tepsi baytinijan, with golden eggplant, meatballs, potatoes and tomatoes, served with rice on the side.

Tepsi baytinijan with rice
Total time
1 h 25
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€2.80
Calories per person
740 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Summer, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Tepsi baytinijan combines soft roasted eggplant and potatoes with small beef meatballs seasoned with cumin and parsley, all covered in a tomato sauce that ties everything together. Served with plain rice, it's a generous, comforting dish, with no frying involved, since the hot oven does all the work of getting everything golden.

This is the kind of dish to make on a quiet weekend, when you have a bit of time to slice the vegetables and shape the meatballs, though the oven handles most of the cooking without much supervision. Kids generally like the small meatballs and the rice, and the dish is easy to share with family or guests straight from one colorful baking dish.

The ingredients

4 people

Fruits and vegetables

  • Eggplants 3
  • Onion 2
  • Parsley 1 bunch
  • Potatoes 500 g
  • Garlic 3 cloves

Butcher

  • Ground beef 500 g

Pantry

  • Cuminoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Crushed tomatoesoften in the pantry 400 g
  • Tomato pasteoften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 5 tbsp
  • Riceoften in the pantry 250 g
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

The step by step recipe

  1. Slice the eggplant and potatoes into rounds, coat them with oil, and roast them on a baking sheet at 220°C until golden. 25 min

    Flip them halfway through so they brown on both sides.

  2. Mix the beef with one grated onion, parsley, cumin, salt and pepper, then shape into small meatballs.

    The meatballs should be no bigger than a walnut.

  3. Cook the other onion with the garlic, then add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 100 ml of water, salt and pepper. 10 min

    Let the sauce thicken, otherwise it will make the dish watery.

  4. In a large baking dish, arrange the meatballs, the eggplant and potato rounds, then pour the sauce over everything.

    Layer the rows neatly, the dish will look great when served.

  5. Bake at 190°C and cook the rice in salted water while it bakes. 30 min

    Stop when the meatballs are cooked through and the sauce is gently bubbling.

Our tips to get it right

  • Slice the eggplant and potatoes to an even thickness, about 1 cm, so they roast and cook at the same pace.
  • Drain the roasted eggplant on paper towels before assembling, this keeps the dish from turning too watery once the sauce is added.
  • If the sauce still looks thin at step 3, let it simmer a few more minutes before pouring it over the dish, it should coat the back of a spoon.

The variations

  • Swap the ground beef for ground lamb for a stronger flavor, common in some versions of this dish.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the meatballs with mashed chickpea and spice balls, roasted in the oven before assembling.
  • For a quicker version, skip shaping the meatballs and simply crumble seasoned ground beef into the sauce instead.

What to serve it with

  • Plain white rice
  • Flatbread or pita
  • Plain yogurt on the side
  • Fresh cucumber salad

Storage

Tepsi baytinijan keeps for 2 to 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container. It freezes well once cooled, for up to 2 months. Reheat in the oven or in a pan over low heat, adding a splash of water if the sauce has thickened too much.

Questions about this dish

Can you make tepsi baytinijan ahead of time?

Yes, you can assemble the dish through step 4 the day before and keep it in the fridge. The next day, just bake it as directed, adding a few extra minutes if it goes into the oven cold.

Can you use a different vegetable instead of potatoes?

Sliced zucchini works well instead of or alongside the potatoes. Roast it in the oven first too, just like the eggplant.

How do you keep the meatballs from drying out?

Shape them loosely and keep them no bigger than a walnut, as the recipe calls for. They finish cooking gently in the sauce, which keeps them moist.

Should the rice cook in the dish or separately?

The rice cooks separately in salted water while the dish bakes in the oven. It's served alongside, to go with the sauce and the soft vegetables.

How long does it take to make a tepsi baytinijan?

Count 1 h 25 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a tepsi baytinijan?

About 740 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a tepsi baytinijan cost?

About €2.80 per serving, or €11.20 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains none of the major allergens tracked by Mon Chou. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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