Msaqa'a (Aubergine with Tomatoes)

Ingredients

2 big eggplants
3/4 up olive oil
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 big onion
4 tomatoes
1 tablespoon finely chopped pimiento
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 up tomato juice

Peel eggplants and cut across into medium-thin slices. Sprinkle them generously with salt and set them aside for half an hour. This procedure is important to reduce the amount of oil absorbed by the eggplants.

Pat them dry and fry them over medium heat a few slices at a time in hot oil until they are golden. When they are done, remove them from the oil and put them immediately on kitchen paper.

Turn on the oven to 375 degrees.
Chop onion into thin slices and set aside.
Blanch the tomatoes by soaking them in boiling water for a few minutes to allow for easy paring.

Once they are ready, remove the skin and cut them up in coarse chunks.

Heat the olive oil in a pan and add the onions. Stir and fry until they are tender and translucent.

Add the tomatoes stirring them into the onions, then add salt, pepper and allspice.

Add the tomato juice and cook for a few minutes until the sauce is ready.

Put eggplants in an oven tray and add the tomato mixture; cover with aluminum foil.

Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and bake for another ten minutes making sure it does not get dry. Serve at room temperature.