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1
Trim the caps and leave the stems on the eggplants.
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2
Peel 1/2-inch strips off the skins lengthwise, leaving 1/2-inch stripes of skin.
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3
Soak in water with 1 tablespoon salt and leave for 30 minutes, then drain and dry them.
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4
Fry them very briefly in hot shallow oil, 2 or 3 at a time in a skillet, turning to brown them lightly all over, then drain on paper towels.
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5
For the filling, in another skillet heat 23 tablespoons fresh oil, and fry the onions until soft.
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6
Add the meat and cook for about 10 minutes, crushing the meat with a fork and turning it over, until it changes color.
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7
Add the tomato paste and tomatoes, salt and pepper, cinnamon, and allspice.
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8
Stir well, and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the liquid is reduced.
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9
Place the eggplants side by side in a single layer in a baking dish.
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10
With a sharp-pointed knife, make a slit in each one, lengthwise, along one of the bare strips on the top, without reaching the 2 ends (up to about 1 inch from each end).
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11
With a dessert spoon, open out the slits and push open the flesh on the sides to make a hollow pocket.
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12
Fill each eggplant with some of the filling, and garnish with a slice of tomato placed on top.
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13
Pour the tomato juice into the dish, cover with foil, and bake in a preheated 350F oven for about 40 minutes, or until the eggplants are soft.
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14
For Syrian and Lebanese sheikh el mahshi betingan, use 6 medium eggplants with the meat filling on page 306.
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15
The juice of 1 lemon may be added to the liquid in the baking dish.
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16
It is also common to cut the eggplants in half lengthwise and bake them with the filling spread all over the cut sides.
