Vegetable Dish with Minced Meat

As a preliminary preparation, peel the eggplants and dice them into cubes, then let them soak in salted water for approximately 15 minutes to remove the bitterness. Dice the zucchini, red peppers, and green peppers into similar bite-sized pieces and set them aside.

Add olive oil to a wide and deep pot and heat. Add the finely chopped onions and 2 cloves of crushed garlic, and sauté over medium heat until they turn pink.

Add the lean ground beef to the sautéed onions. Fry by stirring for approximately 5-7 minutes until the meat releases its water and then absorbs it again.

Add the tomato paste to the browned ground meat and continue to sauté for another 1-2 minutes until the aroma is released. Then, add the diced tomatoes, peppers, and the drained and rinsed eggplants and zucchini to the pot.

Gently mix all the vegetables with the ground meat mixture. Add the hot water, salt, and black pepper. Cover the pot and let the dish come to a boil over medium heat. After it boils, reduce the heat and cook for approximately 20 minutes until the vegetables are soft.

With 5 minutes left for the dish to cook, add the remaining 1 clove of finely chopped garlic and 1 dessert spoon of sumac to the pot to give the dish depth and a balanced acidity. Mix lightly without mashing the ingredients and let it cook for another 5 minutes with the lid closed.

Remove the cooked dish from the stove and let it rest with the lid closed for approximately 10 minutes, then serve hot.