Grilled aubergines with sweet tomato sauce and yoghurt dressing

This is an excellent example of how versatile the aubergines are! An easy recipe to make with simple ingredients. The combination of the hot tomato sauce with the cold yoghurt gives a delicious contrast of tastes and the parsley keeps everything so refreshing. Another delicious dish from the Greeks of Asia Minor. A great idea for the Summer-time gatherings to accompany most grilled meat or poultry

Cooked by Elias Mamalakis,
a prominent Head Cook and food author
as seen on the TV cooking programme "Boukia kai syghorio"

Ingredients (for 4-6 people):
4-5 aubergines
1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
olive oil
coarse salt
200gr. of thick Greek yoghurt

For the tomato sauce:
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
5 large ripe tomatoes, grated
3 tbsp of sugar
coarse salt
black pepper
salt
olive oil

Method:
Wash the aubergines, pat dry, cut and discard the top stem. Then cut in 1/2 cm thick slices (or large chunks).

Heat the grill oven on a rather high temperature.

Grease a shallow oven dish with some olive oil and sprinkle with some rock salt. Place on top a layer of the aubergines, brush with a bit of oil, sprinkle with salt and cook under the grill until they start getting coloured. Turn them once and cook for a few minutes more. Continue in the same way until you have grilled all the aubergines. Keep them aside.

In a non-stick deep frying pan add 1-2 tbsp of olive oil and sauté the garlic on medium heat for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, stir and let the sauce simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the sugar, the salt, the pepper while stirring constantly until you have a nice thick sauce.

On a big serving dish arrange a layer of the aubergines. On top spoon some of the yogurt and lay evenly with a spatula. Sprinkle with some parsley and finish with a layer of tomato sauce.

Continue in the same way until you have used all the ingredients and you end up with tomato sauce on the top.

The dish can be served while it is still hot or even cold.