Melt the butter in a pot and sauté the lamb over a medium heat until it turns brown, along with the sugar.

Cut the onion into thick rings, add them into the pot together with the tomato paste, salt and pepper and stir for around 1 minute, then add two cups of hot water. Reduce the heat and cook until the meat is tender.

Meanwhile, peel the eggplants in an alternating striped pattern and cut them into 1.5 cm thick longitudinal slices, and soak in salted water for half an hour. Drain and pat dry the eggplants thoroughly with a kitchen cloth, and then fry over a medium heat.

Lay half of the fried eggplants on the bottom of an ovenproof baking tray.

Arrange the cooked lamb on top of the eggplants and add thyme. Cover the meat with the remaining eggplants.

Cut the tomatoes into thick rings, place them and the cleaned long green peppers on top. Add 1 cup of water and bake in the oven at 190oC/375oF until the peppers and tomatoes are cooked.

Serve hot with rice pilaf.