Eggplant Marrakech

2 medium or large eggplants
1 cup finely chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
1/4 tsp ground red pepper or Berbere
1 tsp Hungarian paprika
1 tsp ground cumin seeds
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup vermicelli, broken into short pieces
1 cup water
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 cup cooked chick peas
1/2 cup raisins
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste
pimiento strips

Leaving the stems on, slice the eggplants in half lengthwise and place them,
cut side down, on an oiled baking sheet. Covered them with aluminum foil and
bake at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes, until tender.

"Saute" the onions, garlic and spices until onions are transluent. Stir often
to prevent spices from burning. Add the chopped tomatoes and simmer, covered,
for 3 or 4 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a separate pot, - here the cookbook says to fry the vermicelli
in olive oil for a couple of minutes until the color changed to golden-brown -
I sprayed a pan with Pam and did the same - I really think you could just skip
this, I don't think it made any difference. Anyway, after the frying,
immediately add a cup of water, bring it to a boil, and simmer, covered, for
about 5 minutes, until the water is absorbed; remove from heat. Add rice,
chick peas, and raisins. Stir in the sauteed onion-tomato mixture, lemon
juice, and parsley. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Turn the baked eggplant halves over in the baking pan. With a fork or spoon,
mash the pulp a little, taking care not to break the skin. Push aside some of
the pulp to make a hollow. Mound a quarter of the filling on each half. Baked,
covered, at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

Garnish with pimiento strips (also suggests to sprinkle with feta cheese).

Variation: I didn't feel like making a stuffed eggplant so I sliced the
eggplant and broiled it. Then I just mixed it along with everything else to
make a wonderful casserole.