Tender eggplants stuffed with rich tomato, onion, and garlic blend, baked until silky and flavorful.
# What You'll Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 4 medium eggplants (about 8.8 ounces each)
02 - 3 medium onions, thinly sliced
03 - 4 ripe tomatoes, peeled and diced
04 - 4 garlic cloves, minced
05 - 2 green bell peppers, seeded and finely chopped
06 - 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
→ Oils & Liquids
07 - ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
08 - ½ cup water
09 - Juice of ½ lemon
→ Seasonings
10 - 1 teaspoon sugar
11 - 1½ teaspoons sea salt, plus more to taste
12 - ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
13 - 1 teaspoon paprika (optional)
# Directions:
01 - Set the oven temperature to 350°F.
02 - Wash eggplants and peel alternating lengthwise stripes. Slice each lengthwise, leaving ends intact.
03 - Sprinkle eggplants with salt and rest for 20 minutes. Rinse and thoroughly pat dry.
04 - Heat half of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté onions until soft, about 8 minutes.
05 - Incorporate garlic and bell peppers, cooking an additional 3 minutes.
06 - Stir in tomatoes, sugar, salt, pepper, and paprika. Simmer for 10 minutes until thickened, then fold in parsley off heat.
07 - Heat remaining olive oil in a clean skillet. Fry eggplants gently on all sides until browned and tender, about 8 minutes.
08 - Arrange eggplants in a baking dish. Open slits carefully and fill generously with tomato-onion mixture.
09 - Drizzle lemon juice over stuffed eggplants and pour water around them. Cover with foil.
10 - Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes.
11 - Uncover and bake for 10 to 15 more minutes until eggplants are tender and filling bubbles.
12 - Allow to cool to room temperature prior to serving.
