Baked Layered Fried Eggplant

This is SO flavorful, rich and satisfying! Fun to make and great as a leftover.

• Ready In: 1 hr 10 mins
• Serves: 2-4

Ingredients

• 3  small eggplants, sliced
• 2  tablespoons salt
• 1⁄2 cup pine nuts
• 1  onion, chopped finely
• 2  teaspoons olive oil
• 1 1⁄2 cups  any flour (NOT self-raising!)
• 1  egg, beaten
• 1 (16 ounce) can tomatoes
• 1  cup canola oil

Directions

1. Put eggplant and salt in a bowl. Cover with water and leave for 5-10 minutes. Drain and rinse.
2. While the eggplant is soaking, heat 2 tsps olive oil in a pan and saute the onion until soft. Remove from heat.
3. In another pan (heated but dry),lightly brown the pinenuts - make sure you don't burn them. Remove from heat.
4. Split flour into two plastic bags. Have the egg in a bowl. Dip the eggplant slices first in one bag of flour, then in egg, then in the other bag of flour. (To make it more flavourful, add 1/4 cup spices or nuts to the second bag. I like doukkah).
5. Once all the eggplant slices are ready, and you have a plate with kitchen paper on it, heat the cup of canola oil - you might need more or less, depending on your pan size.
6. When it's hot, place four eggplant slices in.Fry on both sides until brown and crispy, then drain on kitchen paper. Repeat - you might need to top up oil while frying.
7. In a deep dish (mine is 7" wide, 3" deep)drizzle some of the tomato juice from the can in the bottom. Lay down one layer of eggplants, then sprinkle some pinenuts, onions and tomatoes on top. Repeat.
8. Bake at 220 Celcius for 30 minutes.