Mahshi Bassal bel Tamarhendi

• 2 large mild onions
• 1 pound lean ground lamb or beef
• Salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 1/2 tablespoons tamarind paste (page 46)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons sunflower oil

1. Peel the onions and cut off the ends.
2. With a sharp knife, make a cut on one side of each, from top to bottom, through to the centerand no farther.
3. Throw into a big pan of boiling water and boil for 1015 minutes, until they soften and begin to open so that each layer can be detached.
4. Drain, and when cool enough to handle, separate each layer carefully by easing your fingers inside each.
5. If they dont detach easily you may have to throw the onions back into boiling water after one or two have been removed.
6. For the filling, knead the ground meat with the salt, pepper, cinnamon, allspice, and parsley.
7. Put a walnut-sized lump into each curved onion layer and roll up tightly.
8. Line the bottom of a wide, shallow pan with discarded bits of onion (this is to protect the rolls).
9. Pack the stuffed onion rolls tightly on top.
10. Melt the tamarind paste and 1 tablespoon of sugar in about 3/4 cup boiling water and pour over the onions, adding more water to cover if necessary.
11. Place a plate on top to hold the onions and simmer, covered, on very low heat, adding more water as required, for about 4560 minutes, until they are very soft and the water is absorbed.
12. Now arrange the rolls in one layer on a flat, heatproof serving dish, sprinkle the top with the remaining sugar, and caramelize under the grill.
13. It gives them a warm, wrinkly look.
14. They are best served hot but are also very good cold.
15. For Saudi Arabian onion rolls, stuff the onion layers with the following meat-and-rice filling: Fry 1/2 pound ground meat in 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, crushing and turning it over, until it changes color.
16. Add 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon or 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice and 1/2 cup American rice, and barely cover with water.
17. Simmer for 18 minutes, or until the rice is done.
18. Instead of the tamarind sauce, pour over the rolls a mixture of waterjust enough to coverwith 2 tablespoons oil and 12 tablespoons vinegar.
19. Finish them in the oven to dry them out a little and give them a nice wrinkly look.

onions, beef, salt, cinnamon, allspice, flatleaf parsley, tamarind paste, sugar, sunflower oil

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/mahshi-bassal-bel-tamarhendi-373495 (may not work)