Recipe - Eggplant Pilaf In Olive Oil

1 md Eggplant
Salt
2 cup Long grain rice
Water
Three fourths cup Olive oil
3 Chopped onions
2 tablespoon Pine nuts
1 lg Ripe tomato, minced
2 tablespoon Currants
1 tablespoon Sugar
2 teaspoon Cinnamon
2 teaspoon Allspice
Salt & pepper
1 cup Fresh dill, chopped

Cut stem off eggplant. Using vegetable peeler, peeling lengthwise, remove
a strip of skin, leave next strip on. Continue to peel in this striped
fashion. Cube eggplant into 1" cubes. Sprinkle generously with salt & set
aside for 3 hours. Rinse well. Drain as well as possible, but don't tear
the eggplant.

Soak rice in hot water mixed with 2 teaspoon salt, until the water turns cool.
Drain well & set aside.

Heat olive oil in a heavy pan & cook eggplant cubes, stirring frequently.
till tender & golden brown on all sides. Drain to remove excess oil.

Add onions & pine nuts to same pan. Saute for 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in
the rice & cook, stirring frequently, for 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in eggplant
& rest of ingredients except dill. Add 3 cups hot water, bring to a boil,
cover & cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low & cook till
all the water has been absorbed. Stir in the dill.

Ensure that the skillet lid has a very good seal. Cover the skillet with a
clean towel & put the lid on top of that. Set pan on a heat diffuser over
the lowest possible heat & leave it for 30 minutes. Stir. Serve cold.

Ayla Esen Algar, "The Complete Book of Turkish Cooking"

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini