Imam Bayildi A Stuffed Eggplant Recipe From Asia Minor

IMAM BAYILDI (A STUFFED EGGPLANT RECIPE FROM ASIA MINOR)

Steps:

• Saute the onions in a little oil.
• Add the garlic, tomatoes, parsley, salt, and pepper.
• Cook until it comes together as a very thick stew (no liquid). Stir in mint.
• Cut the stem ends from each eggplant and cut eggplants in half lengthwise.
• Make 3 lengthwise slits, almost from end to end, cutting into the flesh about 1 inch deep.
• Heat 1/2 cup olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
• Add the eggplant, cut side down, and fry gently, until dark golden-brown on cut side.
• Turn over and fry on skin side a couple more minutes.
• Remove from oil (most of it will have been absorbed) and place on paper towels to drain for at least 15 minutes before proceeding with recipe (this gets rid of most of the oil- you can omit the frying step to cut calories and save time, but you will NOT have the same flavourful results, and the recipe will not be as authentic).
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Hold each slit apart and spoon the vegetable mixture into each cavity.
• Arrange eggplants in a baking dish just large enough to hold them.
• Sprinkle with sugar, lemon juice, and drizzle with the remaining oil.
• Bake for 40 minutes, or until tender.
• Serve with lots of crusty bread.

IMAM BAYILDI

Steps:

• Halve the eggplant lentghways. Sprinkle with salt and leave to weep for 5 minutes. Rinse well and place the halves side by side, flesh side upwards, in a wide pan.
• In a bowl, mix the onion, tomatoes, garlic and fresh herbs with the salt and a *little* of the oil. Carefully pile the mixture high on top of each eggplant half until all the flesh is covered. Mix the rest of the oil and the water with the sugar and pour it over and around the eggplant.
• Cover the pan and cook very gently for 1 or 2 hours. Baste occasionally with the oil, pushing gently the onion and tomato mixture down into the halves as they cook. The eggplant should end up soft and flat, completely filled with the mixture, sitting in a slightly caramelized flavored oil.
• Leave to cool in the oil. Transfer to a serving dish, spoon the oil over them, and serve with wedges of lemon to squeeze over.

IMAM BAILDI AKA STUFFED EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Cut ends off the eggplants/aubergines.
• Make an opening for the stuffing by using a sharp knife and slicing the eggplant from the stem end down to the other, make sure that you don't cut them all the way through.
• In a skillet, heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil over a medium heat.
• Fry the eggplant gently.
• If needed, you can add some more oil in the frying pan.
• Remove the eggplant from the skillet and place in an 8"x8" baking dish.
• Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Add the remainder of the olive oil to the same skillet.
• Sautee the onions and garlic in it until they are slightly golden being careful to not burn the garlic.
• You want the vegetables soft.
• Add the fresh tomatoes and half a cupful of water to the skillet.
• Add the oregano, sugar, more salt and pepper.
• Simmer covered, for 15 minutes.
• Remove stuffing from heat.
• Fill the eggplants with this stuffing.
• They will be slightly open as they don't need to be closed back over the stuffing mixture so be very generous.
• Bake for 4O minutes; basting them at least once.

IMAM BAYILDI

Steps:

• Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise, score their flesh in a crisscross pattern, and sprinkle salt on the cut surfaces.
• Lay them face down in a colander to allow the bitter juices to drain.
• After 1/2 hour, squeeze them, rinse them in cold water, squeeze again, and pat dry.
• Saute the onion in 1/4 cup olive oil until softened.
• Add the parsley and basil.
• Remove the onions from the skillet and combine them with the tomatoes. Salt to taste.
• Oil a large baking pan and preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Heat a Tbsp of olive oil and a Tbsp butter in the skillet.
• Saute the garlic and bread crumbs, stirring constantly, until the oil is evenly distributed, there are no lumps, and hte crumbs are golden brown. Salt to taste.
• Rub the eggplant halves with a little oil and lightly salt them.
• Mound each half with the vegetable mixture and top with the bread crumb.
• Add enough water to barely cover the bottom of the baking pan, arrange the stuffed eggplants, and cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil.
• Bake for 1 hour. Remove the foil an bake for another 20 minutes, until browned.
• Garnish each eggplant half with a lemon wedge.
• Serve with Rice Pilav with Orzo or Bulhur Pilav.