Sweet and sour Eggplants

Directions

• Cut the eggplants in large and transversal chunks. In a big bowl put the eggplants and sprinkle a good handful of salt to let them lose the bitterness. Leave them for about 10 mins.
• Then rinse with some water and dab with some kitchen paper.
• In a glass put 3 or 4 tablespoons of vinegar and 2 tablespoons of sugar and stir it until the sugar dissolve. The quantity of vinegar may vary, it depends on its intensity.
  Taste it and decide. Put it aside for a moment.
• You may use a fry pan or the oven. In the frying pan, medium heat, stir it and toast them a bit. Then, when they cool down, crush them roughly with a mortar or blender. Put them aside for a moment.
• Fry the eggplants in a pan with some corn oil at medium heat. Then put them in a colander to let the oil drain. Put them aside for a moment.
• In the same frying pan, take away the seed oil and put a bit of tomato puree just to give it some colour and let it cook for 1 or 2 minutes.
• Pour your mix of vinegar and sugar (sweet and sour) and higher the heat a bit to let the alcohol evaporate (about 1 minute).
• Then lower the heat and put the fried eggplants and let them cook for 1 or 2 minutes more.
• Put your eggplants in a platter and when they are cooled down, sprinkle the chopped toasted almonds. Put in the refrigerator for 1 hour before serving.
• Take it off the refrigerator and serve it as an appetizer or side dish. It can be kept in a sealed container in a refrigerator for two or three days.