Prep time 15 min cook time 20
Smokey baked globe eggplants stuffed with a rich and aromatic mixture of tomatoes and onions.
The dish called Imam Bayildi originated in Turkey and literally means “The imam fainted”. It is said that an imam (a Muslim priest) swooned with pleasure on tasting the dish. This is the story you’ll hear repeated right across Turkey and the legend is well deserved. So much so that variations of the dish quickly spread throughout the Mediterranean.
The recipe is quite simple and consists of four main ingredients – small globe eggplants, onions, diced tomatoes and olive oil. The end result is smokey and creamy eggplants stuffed with a rich mixture of onions and tomatoes. The dish works as a starter, a side dish and as a main dish on a bed of bulgur wheat with raisins and pine nuts. Make the eggplants a day ahead and they really comes into their own when left in the fridge overnight and allowed to come to room temperature the following day.
There are countless variations of this recipe to choose from and depending on which country or region you visit, you will be told that theirs is the best version. You might even hear arguments about which family in any given town serves the best Imam Bayildi. Keep in mind we are talking about regions of the world where food is paramount and a host’s reputation hangs on the quality of the dishes served.
The recipe I usually follow is the simplest. I bake the eggplant for about twenty minutes and while that is happening, I focus on the ingredient that I think makes my version of this recipe dish special; the caramelized onions. They usually take about 40 minutes to carmelize but there is a way to get a good result in only 10 minutes. The recipe will show you how.
The rest comes together quite quickly and be ready to “swoon”!
Imam Bayildi
by
Derek Farwagi
Ingredients
- 1 small globe egg plant
- ½ can diced tomatoes (you can also use about 1/2 lb cherry tomatoes, halved and a teaspoon of tomato paste).
- 1 large yellow onion, sliced in half lengthwise, then again lengthwise into thin strips.
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup olive oil
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425ºF.
- Peel eggplant skin in strips and cut in eggplant in half.
- Brush eggplants all over with olive oil. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt.
- Roast eggplants till soft but no too mushy - about 15-20 minutes.
- While the eggplants are roasting heat 2 tbs of olive oil in a large pan over a low heat. Add the sliced onion and spread across the base of the pan. Sauté the onions stirring frequently until they begin to caramelize (about 10-15 minutes). At that point, add the sliced garlic and cook until the onions reach a golden brown color. (another 3-4 minutes).
- Add the diced tomatoes a quarter cup of water, season with cumin and oregano and bring stuffing to a simmer. Cook for a few of minutes until most of the water evaporates. The stuffing should be thick and firm.
- Check eggplants. The centers should be soft. Remove from oven and with the back of a soup spoon gently press down on the cooked flesh and make a trough for the stuffing. With a spatula and tongs, turn the eggplants on their side to drain any liquid.
- Distribute the filling equally among the eggplant halves.
- Garnish with parsley or mint and toasted pine nuts (optional). Drizzle a little olive oil and serve at room temperature or refrigerate overnight.
MAYRIDOU ELENI
perfect. easy,,delicius