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1
For the eggplant stuffing, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet.
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2
Put in the meat and cook for about 10 minutes, adding salt, pepper, cinnamon, and allspice, and crushing the meat with a fork and turning it over until it is cooked and the liquid has evaporated.
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3
In a small skillet, fry the pine nuts in a drop of oil, shaking the pan to brown them lightly all over.
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4
Stir half the pine nuts into the meat.
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5
Wash and dry the eggplants and hollow them out with a corer (see page 315).
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6
Fill them with the meat-and-pine-nut mixture.
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7
(Use the eggplant flesh for another dish.)
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8
Make the tomato sauce in a wide pan or baking pan.
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9
Put in the tomatoes with the sugar, a little salt and pepper, and, if you like, the pomegranate concentrate.
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10
Stir well and simmer for 5 minutes.
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11
Put in the eggplants, and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes, or until the eggplants are very soft, turning them over once.
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12
Open out the pita breads, cutting around them with scissors or a serrated knife, and separating them into halves.
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13
Toast them under the broiler until they are crisp and lightly browned.
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14
Mix the yogurt with the garlic, if using.
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15
Just before serving, assemble the different components in a wide and deep serving dish.
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16
Break the toast into small pieces with your hands into the bottom of the dish.
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17
Take the eggplants out of the tomato sauce, and pour the tomato sauce over the toast, which will become soft and bloated.
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18
Pour the yogurt all over, and arrange the stuffed eggplants on top.
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19
Then sprinkle with the remaining pine nuts.
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20
Instead of cooking the eggplants in the tomato sauce, fry them in enough medium-hot oil to half-cover them, turning to cook them all over.
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21
The skins (there is no bare flesh) stop them from absorbing the oil.
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22
Lift them out and drain on paper towels.
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23
Mix 2 tablespoons tahina paste with the yogurt.
