Peel and chop the tomatoes, then process in a blender with the juice.

Heat the oil into a pan and cook the chopped onions and the garlic until their color starts changing for about 2 to 3 minutes.

Add in the tomato sauce, the tomato juice, the water, and the bay leaves

When your ingredients start boiling, reduce the heat and let simmer for about 15 minutes.

Add the raisins and the thyme by the end

Heat the corn oil in a pan over a medium heat and fry the eggplant slices on both the sides; then transfer to a dish and drain with clean paper towels

Season with the salt and the pepper

Preheat your oven to a temperature of about 390°F

In a Pyrex bowl, place a layer of eggplant; then add half of the tomato sauce; then add a layer of cheese slices, then a second layer of eggplant

Add in the rest of the tomato sauce and add in more Edam cheese slices; then sprinkle some of the thyme for garnishing

Put the msakqa'a in the oven and cook for about 10 minutes, until the cheese melts

Remove the baking dish from the oven; then let rest for about 5 minutes

Serve and enjoy your dish hot!