Eggplants Lagada with Tomato and Feta Cheese
METHOD OF PREPARATION
Ingredients
1 kg eggplants, cut into thick slices lengthwise
Olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
5 ripe tomatoes, grated or canned
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp sugar
200g feta cheese, crumbled
½ bunch parsley, finely chopped
½ bunch mint, finely chopped
Salt
Pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
Instructions
Cut the eggplants lengthwise into thick slices, lightly salt them, and let them sit in a colander for half an hour to draw out bitterness. Rinse with water and dry with paper towels
Fry the eggplant slices on both sides and place them on paper towels to drain excess oil
For the tomato sauce, heat olive oil in a pot, add the chopped onion, and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato paste, and fry for another 5 minutes
Then add the grated tomato, salt, sugar, pepper, and oregano. Simmer for 30 minutes until the sauce thickens and the tomato cooks down
Line the bottom of a baking dish with the fried eggplant slices. Salt the eggplants and pour half of the tomato sauce over them
Add another layer of eggplants and top with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle crumbled feta cheese on top and bake in the oven for 45 minutes at 180°C until the cheese is golden
Garnish with fresh mint and parsley
