There are a lot of things you can stuff with hashu to turn into a meal. This time, I used ground turkey and (half-cooked) brown rice to make a healthier mechshe.
Since our mom doesn’t like onions, this mechshe wasn’t something we ate much growing up, but it’s definitely still one of my favorites! I love the flavor of slow-cooked onions, which get sweet and caramelized in the oven, and the contrast with tart tamarind sauce is perfect.
Since stuffing these is quite a process, I like to make a double batch and freeze half, so that next time the cravings hits, I can cook up a batch right away; no need to defrost, just cook the frozen onions for a bit longer.
The onions
Ingredients:
- 3 large or 4 small yellow onions
- 1 pound hashu
- 1 cup of water
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup tamarind
- 1 teaspoon agave
- salt
Directions:
- Remove the skin from the onions by cutting a slit from top to bottom.
- Place the onions in a pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and let simmer for 30 minutes, until the onions are soft and pliable.
- Drain the onions and separate the layers.
- Stuff the onion layers: place a spoonful of hashu into each onion layer and roll tightly. At this point, the mechshe can be frozen, or proceed to step 5.
- Preheat the oven to 350.
- Mix the rest of the ingredients together, place the onions in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and pour the mixture over the onions. Cover and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and let simmer for 30 minutes. Transfer to the oven and roast for an hour. Serve hot.
