Passover Mina with Lamb, eggplant, spinach, and mango

A Mina is a layered pie, kind of like a lasagna, that uses sheets of matzo instead of sheets of pasta. The matzo is briefly dipped in water or stock to soften it. Often, the top is brushed with beaten egg for a shiny finish. It’s a classic Sephardic Passover dish that’s delicious any time of year. If you’re familiar with it, you’ll quickly see that this recipe is not a classic one. I don’t need to give you a recipe for that; it’s readily available.

This one has a bit of a twist to it. It includes layers of sautéed leeks, garlicky spinach, and smoky roasted eggplant.

If you’re not a fan of lamb, feel free to use ground beef or ground turkey instead.

Most recipes for mina call for sautéing the meat and then adding the eggs and other ingredients. I make a meatloaf-type mixture and then sauté it, so that the lamb comes out tender and soft. The surprising addition of dried apricots in the filling adds a touch of sweet to a savory dish.

Don’t be put off by the long list of ingredients. Most of them are just dumped into the stuffing mix.

The use of kitnyot during Passover can be controversial. Sephardic Jews have never refrained from legumes and rice during the festival, but since the middle ages, Ashkenazi rabbis have forbidden their use. In 2016, they reversed that decision, so now these foods are permitted. Still, many Ashkenazi continue to refrain from eating kitnyot during Passover out of tradition. Personally, I refrain from including kitnyot from my Seder, because what I want at that meal is exactly what I’ve had at that meal since I was a small child. But I’m more lenient about it during the days that follow. The eggplant layer includes tahini, sesame paste. It adds a lot to the dish, but if you’re not comfortable using it, leave it out. Your mina will still be delicious.

To serve a crowd, double the recipe.

Ingredients:

• Approximately 4—8 matzos, depending upon the pan you use.

• 1 lb ground lamb (or you can use ground beef or turkey)

• 2 large leeks, cleaned and cut into rounds (white part only)

• 10 ounces frozen chopped spinach

• 1 small-medium eggplant

• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 1 clove garlic

• 2 tablespoons tahini paste (optional)

• 1 medium-large onion, diced small

• 3 large cloves garlic, minced (divided use)

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon allspice

• 1/3 cup matzo meal

• 1/3 cup ice cold water

• ¼ cup tomato paste

• ½ cup flat leaf parsley

• ¼ cup fresh mint leaves

• 1/4 cup fresh dill

• 2 eggs (divided use)

• 1/3 cup diced dried apricots

• 1/3 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted

• ¾ cup beef stock (optional)

• salt as needed

• freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method:

 Prepare the Spinach: I really prefer using frozen spinach over fresh in this recipe. Let the spinach defrost and then squeeze out as much water as possible. Sauté the spinach in a small glug of olive oil, with a clove or two of minced garlic and a sprinkle of salt. Set it aside.

Prepare the Eggplant:

• The eggplant is best prepared on a grill or directly on a burner on a gas cooktop. If neither of these are at your disposal, you can roast the eggplant over the broiler in your oven. Whichever method you use, roast the eggplant until it’s blackened and the skin is crumbling, then turn it over and roast on the other side, until it’s blackened all over and collapsed.

• When it’s cool enough to handle, slash the eggplant lengthwise and scrape out the flesh with a spoon. Then discard the skin.

• In a food processor, combine the eggplant with the teaspoon lemon juice, the salt, 1 clove chopped garlic, and the tahini paste if using. Process until smooth, then taste and add more lemon if desired. Set the purée aside.

Prepare the Leeks:

Sauté the sliced leeks slowly in another glug of olive oil, with a little sprinkle of salt, until they’re soft, then transfer them to a small plate or bowl. 

Prepare the Lamb:

• Sauté the diced onions slowly in about 3 tablespoons olive oil, until golden and caramelized, then transfer them to a small plate or bowl.

• In a mixing bowl, combine the lamb with the caramelized onions, the garlic, ¾ teaspoon salt, a few grinds of the pepper mill, the cinnamon, the allspice, the parsley, 1 of the eggs, the matzo meal, and the ice cold water. Using your hands, massage it all together until it’s very soft and well combined.

  Reserve a bit of the herbs for a garnish.

• In the same skillet that you used for the onions, cook the meat mixture until it loses its pink color. Break up the meat with a spatula or spoon while it cooks. Set it aside to cool.

• Once cool, add the mango, the pine nuts, the mint, the dill, and the tomato paste.

Assemble the Mina:

• Grab a container that’s large enough to hold a full sheet of matzo, fill it with ½ cup beef stock, and soak each sheet of matzo for a minute or two. Then lay them out on a tea towel and cover them with another towel. Don’t over-soak them or they’ll get mushy.

• Lightly grease a baking dish with olive oil. A 9 X 18 inch pan is a good size for this amount. Lay out sheets of matzo to completely cover the bottom.

• Spoon half the meat mixture over the matzo, spreading it evenly. Top the meat with the eggplant purée.

• Add another layer of soaked matzo, as if you were layering a lasagna.

• Top with the sautéed spinach and then the remaining meat. Top with the sautéed leeks.

• Drizzle the remaining ¼ cup stock over the top.

• Then, add more sheets of matzo to completely cover the top of the dish.

• In a small bowl, beat the remaining egg with a teaspoon of water and pinch of salt. Use a basting brush to brush the egg wash over the top of the mina.

• Bake the mina for 40-45 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove the mina from the oven and sprinkle over the reserved herbs. Let it cool for 15 minutes before cutting into individual portions and serving.

Did you make it? Was it fabulous?