Cut - Belly Eggplants (Karniyarik)

INGREDIENTS:
1 eggplant
olive oil, for frying
1 Tbsp butter or margarine
7 oz ground beef or lamb
1 onion, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley
1 tsp tomato paste
salt and ground black pepper
1 tomato, sliced into thin rings

1
Peel the skin of the eggplant in stripes. Cut in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh without breaking the skin. The eggplant halves should look like two boats.
2
Heat a little olive oil in a skillet and fry the eggplants on all sides until lightly browned. Drain and place in a roasting pan, hollow sides up.
3
Preheat a 375 F oven. Melt the butter or margarine in a separate pan and cook the meat, onion, parsley, and tomato paste together.
4
When cooked, fill the eggplant shells with the meat mixture and place a few tomato rings on each one. Pour 1-1/4 cups water into the roasting pan. Cook in the oven for 30 minutes, or until the eggplants are cooked. Serve with rice.