The recipe features crushed red pepper as the main seasoning, and you can adjust the amount of red pepper you use. Hemy taught me to make the eggplant "harif" or spicy.

Hemy's Israeli Eggplant

Serves 6 to 8

• Olive oil, as needed
• 3medium eggplants, sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch thick rounds
• 1large clove garlic, minced
• 1small onion, chopped
• 1heaping teaspoon crushed dried red pepper flakes
• 2tablespoons tomato paste
• 1box Pomi chopped tomatoes or 26 ounces chopped tomatoes
• 1tablespoon sugar
• Salt and pepper, to taste (be generous)

1. Heat a 10- to 12-inch flame-proof casserole dish over medium-high heat. Add enough olive to cover the bottom of the dish in about 1/4-inch. Add enough eggplant slices to cover the bottom of casserole, with a little room between the slices. Fry until golden to tawny brown on one side, flip, and fry slices on other side. Transfer to paper towels and blot well.
2. Continue to fry the eggplant, adding more olive oil as needed to prevent the bottom of the casserole from scorching. When all eggplant is fried, blot the slices and set aside.
3. In the same casserole, add a bit of oil to gently sauté the garlic and onion over medium heat. When the onion is translucent, add the crushed red pepper flakes. Stir and sauté until you can smell the red pepper.
4. Reduce the heat to low, add the tomato paste, and stir in until the paste is incorporated into the onions, garlic, and red pepper, about a minute.
5. Add the chopped tomatoes, and stir well. Add the sugar, and allow the sauce to reduce by about a quarter. Add the salt and pepper to taste.
6. Add some of the eggplant slices in one circular layer, and then gently push the eggplant layer into the sauce with either a spatula or the back of a wooden spoon. Then, create another layer of eggplant on top of the first. Again, push the eggplant layer into the sauce until almost submerged. Continue this process until all the eggplant is placed into the sauce.
7. Cook over very low heat for about 25 minutes, being careful to retain the layered look of the eggplant, and occasionally slide a metal spatula underneath the bottom layer of eggplant to avoid scorching.
8. Turn off the heat and set the casserole aside. Allow to cool to almost room temperature. Serve with lots of good crusty bread.

https://food52.com/recipes/36554-hemy-s-israeli-eggplant