Imam Baildi I

Description
Baked eggplants with tomatoes, onions and garlic

Ingredients

 * 4 slim, elongated eggplants, about 700 g
 * 150 ml olive oil
 * salt and pepper
 * 450 g onions, thinly sliced
 * 3 – 4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
 * 450 g tomatoes, peeled and sliced
 * 1 teaspoon oregano
 * 1 teaspoon sugar

Directions

 * 1) Cut the stalks off the eggplants and rinse them.
 * 2) Using a sharp knife, slit them lengthwise on one side only, making sure you do not slit all the way through.
 * 3) They should open like a wallet, so you can put the stuffing in the opening.
 * 4) Shallow-fry them gently all around in 4 tablespoons olive oil.
 * 5) If not enough you can add some more oil in the frying pan.
 * 6) Take out and arrange side by side in a small oven dish and season them.
 * 7) Put the rest of the olive oil in a saucepan and sauté the onions and garlic in it until they are slightly golden.
 * 8) Add fresh tomatoes and half a cupful of water.
 * 9) Season.
 * 10) Add the oregano and sugar and cook gently, covered, for 15 minutes.
 * 11) With a spoon, fill the eggplants with this stuffing, opening them slightly.
 * 12) They should be quite soft by now.
 * 13) Virtually pile the stuffing in them, filling them generously.
 * 14) Normally they generate enough juices on their own so no addition of liquid is necessary in the oven dish.
 * 15) Cook in a pre-heated oven, gas mark 4 (350°F / 180°C), for 4o minutes; baste them once during cooking.