It was fried! Then spread with walnut paste and flipped over to make an eggplant-sammich (you can see a closer view of one next to the bean salad - only one left as they tasted damned good!)
It reminded me of the sort of family dinners I used to get in France, and when it came to my turn to make a toast, I told them this and said I felt as if I was back with family - which touched them very much. Some similarities are inevitable, most of the food had come out of their kitchen garden or from livestock they owned, though in France I don't recall aubergines - probably too cold for them to grow where my relies lived!