Eggplant Imsakaa

2 eggplants
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 pound lamb (or beef), cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon Middle Eastern spice
1 8-oz. can tomato sauce
2 cups water
2 medium ripe tomatoes, sliced

Slice eggplants lengthwise into 1/2 inch thick slices. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon salt on the sliced eggplant, place eggplant in a colander, let drain for one hour then rinse and pat dry. In a skillet, heat oil. Fry eggplant in hot oil on each side until golden brown. Place fried slices on paper towels to absorb excess oil. Discard frying oil. In the same frying pan, cook lamb (or beef) on medium heat until all broth evaporates. Add salt, pepper and spice, stir for about 10 minutes.

In a 9x13x2 inch, or similar size pan, place one half of the eggplant slices on the bottom. Place the meat mixture on top of the eggplants, then place the rest of the eggplant slices on top of the meat mixture. Pour the tomato sauce and water on top of the layers, then place the tomato slices. Bake in a 350F oven for about 45 minutes or until stew becomes thick and bubbly. Let stand for about 10

minutes before serving. Serve with Pita bread and/or rice.