TURKISH-STYLE MUSAKKA
By Sennur Fahrali

2 large onions, chopped
4 large eggplants, cubed in 2-3 inch squares
6 cloves of garlic
4-6 very large tomatoes peeled and cubed
1/4 cup parsley, chopped finely
2 green peppers, diced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound of ground beef or lamb
Olive oil or other oil for frying

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Cover the bottom of a deep sauté pan with olive oil. Sauté the onions and garlic until translucent. Add ground meat and continue sautéing until the meat is cooked. Then add green peppers and sauté until they begin to change color. Add the tomatoes and the parsley and cook a few minutes if necessary to soften the tomatoes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Fill a midsize, deep-sided pot with olive oil and heat until hot, but not smoking. Fry the cubed eggplants in batches until the cubes are a couple shades darker then golden brown.
Lay them on a flat surface covered with cloth or a paper towel to drain the excess oil, but do not squeeze them.

Cover the bottom of 9x12x3-inch baking dish with the fried eggplant cubes. Spoon in the sautéed meat mixture, gently folding it into the eggplants being careful not to break up the eggplant cubes too much.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes, until bubbling.

Note: To make vegetarian musakka, substitute 2 pounds mushrooms for the ground meat.