Stuffed Eggplant

3 large eggplants
2 tomatoes, blanched, skin and seeds removed, and sliced thinly
1 onion, sliced thinly and separated into rings
1 garlic clove, mashed or finely minced
a handful of chopped parsley
lemon juice
olive oil
salt and pepper
sugar

Filling:

Brown the onions in olive oil.
Add the garlic and sliced tomatoes and fry until soft.
Add the parsley.
Add salt and pepper, to taste.

Eggplants:

Cut each eggplant in half, longitudinally.

Using a metal scoop or a large soup spoon, scoop out the flesh to within about 3/4 inch to an inch (2.5 cm) of the skin. Discard the flesh. The object is to create a boat-like shell of the eggplant.

Pour off any excess liquids from the fried vegetable mixture, then fill each eggplant shell with it.

Arrange the eggplant shells in a deep frying pan or dutch oven. Fill the pan with a combination of half olive oil/half water up to the height of the eggplant.

Sprinkle the eggplants with salt; drizzle with lemon juice; then sprinkle some sugar over all.

Bring to a boil. Cover. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Serve cold.

Imam Bayildi - "The Imam Fainted"