"This dish was developed in the late forties, when there was hardly any meat here and food was rationed," writes Israeli food writer, Dalia Lamdani, in a letter to me from Tel Aviv. Dalia is describing the background of this vegetarian "chopped liver" salad in which eggplant stands in for the liver. She goes on:"The dish lost its popularity as the economy improved and nobody wanted to remember the hard times. It reemerged in the nineties, and pops up now in the most unlikely places----Arab restaurants, the deli corner of a supermarket chain, even in the latest edition (1991) of the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) cookbook."

    Some cooks have a talent for frying eggplant without needing to add more oil to the pan. Others find they must keep adding oil, and so end up with a heavy dish. Because frying really enhances the flavor of an eggplant salad, I've devised a solution based on a method I learned years ago in Morocco: Fry as many slices as possible with the amount of oil specified in the recipe; when you run out of oil, steam the remaining slices, then crush all the slices (fried and steamed) in the skillet, stirring constantly over medium heat until all the moisture has evaporated and the oil is released. This way all the eggplant is imbued with the same good fried-eggplant flavor. Since you want coarse texture, please don't puree the slices in a food processor.

1. Lightly salt the eggplants and leave to drain in a colander for 30 minutes.

2. Rinse, squeeze and dry the slices. Dust them with flour and fry in batches in hot oil until brown on both sides. Drain eggplant in a colander. When you need more oil, add the remaining eggplant to the skillet, cover and steam the slices until tender. Return the fried slices to the skillet and over medium heat, cook and gently crush all the eggplant with the back of a spatula until the oil is released and the contents begin to fry. When the eggplant is lightly browned but still retains some texture remove from the skillet and let cool.

3. Add the onions, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 cup water to the oil left in the skillet and cook for 20 minutes. (Most of the water should have evaporated.) Uncover and let the mixture slowly turn golden, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and let cool.

4. In a wooden bowl, or on a wooden work-surface, combine the eggplant with the onions and eggs, chopping until well blended. Season with salt and pepper and serve chilled.