Melitzanes Imam

Cook Time 1 hour

Servings 6

Ingredients

3 medium eggplants

3-4 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped

½ bunch of spring onions

4 brown onions, sliced

10 cloves garlic, finely sliced

Extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 bunch parsley, finely chopped

1 small bunch mint, chopped

Salt & pepper

Breadcrumb mixture

1 cup panko bread crumbs

1 lemon, zested

1 clove garlic, microplaned

1 tbsp of the chopped herbs.

To serve

Crusty bread

Olives

Feta

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Wash eggplants and slice down the centre. Arrange in a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil quite generously.

Bake in the oven until the eggplants are golden and soft.

Make the breadcrumb mixture by tossing everything together.

Add a generous amount of olive oil into a large frypan, and add the onions. Coat with olive oil and cook until softened. Once softened, add in the garlic and tomato paste and stir through. Add in the chopped tomatoes and continue to cook down for another 5 minutes, then add in the remaining herbs and spring onion.

Bring the eggplants out of the oven. Using a spoon, open the eggplants to form a pocket. Season and add the 1 tbsp of the breadcrumb mixture to each eggplant half. This helps to absorb any excess moisture in the eggplants.

Spoon the onion mixture on top of every eggplant.

Drizzle them all over with olive oil and then bake in a moderate oven for about 30-45 minutes.

Serve on a platter and decorate with fresh herbs. Enjoy with crusty bread, olives and feta.