Ingredients

• vegetable oil for frying
• 2 eggplants, sliced into rounds
• 1 pound tomatoes, halved
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1 large potato, diced
• 1/3 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 lemon, juiced

Instructions

1. Heat a 1/2 inch of vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Fry eggplants in batches until golden brown, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
2. Puree tomatoes in a blender until smooth. Press through a strainer, discarding seeds and skins.
3. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add beef and cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Stir in potato, green bell pepper, and tomato paste. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Stir tomato puree into the skillet. Simmer until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Add fried eggplant and lemon juice. Simmer until flavors combine, about 5 minutes more.