4 small eggplant long and flat
1 /2 cup (100 ml) sunflower oil
1 tbsp olive oil
Filling:
200 gr medium ground beef
1 medium onion grated
2 medium tomatoes, skinned and chopped or 2 tbsp tomato paste diluted in½ cup cold water
4 slices of tomato –for decorative topping
2 sweet green peppers, seeded –for decorative topping
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ cup (30 gr) parsley chopped
Salt
Black Pepper
Sugar to taste(optional)
1 cup ( 200 ml)hot water
Pre heat oven to 180c /350f
Directions
Cut off the stems of the eggplant. Peel eggplant, make 3 stripes. Sauté eggplant in sunflower oil until golden brown. Slit fried eggplant, open lengthways but not quite to the end, so that they remain in one piece. Place them side by side in a single layer open side up in a baking dish.
Sauté onions in olive oil until lightly browned. Add meat and sauté for 10 minutes, then cover and cook over low heat until the meat releases its moisture and reabsorbs it.
Add grated tomatoes or 1 tbsp tomato paste. Cook for 10 more minutes then add parsley, sugar, salt and pepper.
Stuff the eggplant with the meat mixture, enlarging the openings by hand. Place a slice of tomato and half a green pepper on top of each eggplant.
Whisk 1 tbsp tomato paste and water. Pour under eggplants. Bake in a moderate oven for 15-20 minutes. Serve hot as a main course with rice.
This dish may also be prepared with a chicken filling instead of meat.
