MANCARICA DE VINETE/ EGG PLANT DISH

Years ago my Mother used to cook a Turkish egg plant dish called Imam Bayildi (there are tens of recipes on the internet). Although I have kept the recipe, I had never prepared it together with my Mother so as to know its "secrets"; thus after my Mother passed away I've never quite managed to make it as good as hers. After a few tries, I gave it up. A year or two ago I was talking with my aunt Mia about that recipe and she said that it resembled her Egg Plant Dish. I am not sure if the ingredients or the preparation method are exactly the same - but the taste is as good as I remember my Mother's Imam Bayildi.

Ingredients:
1 egg plant, 1 onion, 2 large tomatoes, 3-4 big garlic cloves, oil, salt, pepper, fresh parsley

Difficulty: low

Preparation time: 30-40'

Method

Peel the egg plant "in pyjamas"(with stripes), cut them 1 cm thick, salt and let them stand for 20'. Wash the slices, drain them on kitchen paper and fry well on both sides in hot oil.

Shortly fry the chopped onion in the same pan, add the egg plant slices (which were drained on kitchen towels), the grated tomatoes (without the peel) and half a glass of water. Boil shortly for 5 to 10'.

Add the chopped garlic (you can just slice it if you like), half a bunch of chopped parsley, salt and pepper to taste. Boil a few more minutes and you're done. You can serve it hot or cold, as it is or as a side dish for meat. My aunt keeps it in sealed glass jars over winter. We served it with game roast and mashed potatoes. Enjoy!