Ingredients

• 1 kg aubergines (large or/and elongated variety)
• 160 ml vegetable oil (about 1 teacup)
• 1 large onion, finely sliced
• 450 gr. minced beef
• 1 glass white wine (not retsina, but aretsinoto)
• 350 gr. fresh tornatoes, 1400 gr. tomatoes, drained of some of their juice and
• chopped
• teaspoon ground cinnamon
• teaspoon ground allspice
• salt and black pepper
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 25 gr. grated parmesan, kefalotiri,
• or Gruyere cheese
• some chopped parsley

Instructions

• Top and tail the aubergines, without peeling them.
• Rinse them, cut them lengthways in 75-mm thick slices and immerse them in salted water, for 30 minutes.
• Take them out, squeeze gently, rinse, then squeeze them again.
• Drain them in a colander and pat dry.
• Fry them in hot vegetable oil until they become pale golden on both sides; you can either deep-fry them, which is easier but they absorb a lot of oil, or shallow-fry them.
• In either case, drain them on absorbent paper on a flat platter before serving, so that most of their oil will dribble away.