You haven't made eggplant rolls until you've tried this recipe from Nof

This dish is not only simple and delicious, it will also make quite an impression on the holiday table: eggplant rolls stuffed with seasoned meat in a homemade tomato sauce. And yes, you don't have to deep-fry the eggplant - it works great even after roasting in the oven.

Ingredients:

• 3 medium long eggplants

• 1/3 cup coarse bulgur (you can also use brown bulgur)

• 1 onion

• 500g ground beef

• A handful of chopped parsley

• 1 egg

• Salt, black pepper

• 0.5 tsp baharat

• Oil for deep frying

Preparation:

1. Peel the eggplants partially (one strip peeled, one not) and slice lengthwise into 0.5 cm thick slices. Salt the slices and place in a colander for about an hour. Transfer to a paper towel and wipe off the excess liquid. Fry the slices in deep oil until golden. Alternatively, you can brush the slices with oil on both sides and roast in an oven preheated to 220 degrees until browned.

2. Soak the bulgur in a little water (about a centimeter above the grain level) and set aside for 15 minutes until all the water is absorbed.

3. Grate the onion coarsely. Transfer to a bowl and add the soaked bulgur, meat, parsley, and egg. Knead well to get a uniform mixture. Season with salt, pepper, and baharat.

4. Place an eggplant slice on the work surface, take a little of the meat mixture and form it into an elongated sausage. Place the meat at the narrow end of the eggplant slice so that it protrudes slightly from the sides. Roll the eggplant around the meat and place in a pan with the seam side down. Repeat with all slices.

5. Prepare the sauce: peel and chop the tomatoes. Finely chop the onion and crush the garlic.

6. Fry the onion in a little olive oil until fully browned. Add the garlic and fry for another minute. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste, and fry for about 3–4 minutes until the sauce bubbles. Add water, bring to a boil, season with salt and pepper, taste and adjust seasoning.

7. Preheat the oven to 220 degrees.

8. Pour the sauce over the eggplants in the pan and bake in the hot oven for 20 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.