Baked Eggplants With Tomatoes Onions Garlic Imam Baildi Recipes

EGGPLANT "IMAM BAILDI"

Steps:

• 1. Rinse the eggplants thoroughly and cut off a slice from one end. Leave the stem. Give them a zebra-like appearance by peeling stripes (one white stripe-one purple stripe). Score them lengthwise on one side only. Widen the slit in the middle section to give the eggplants a boat like appearance.
• 2. Soak them in a bowl filled with slightly salted water and leave them for 30min until opened up and soft. This will help to lessen the bitterness.
• 3. Score crosswise the skin of the tomatoes on the top and peel it off by immersing them in boiled water for a few seconds. Cut them in the middle and deseed them with a spoon. Then chop them finely with a sharp knife. Cut the onions in thin slices and chop the garlic cloves finely. Place them in a bowl, add the tomatoes, parsley, salt, pepper and sugar. Combine everything well.
• 4. Remove the eggplant from the salted water, squeeze them well and fill the wide slit in their middle with the tomato mix. Pour the remaining tomato over. In the meantime, make sure you preheat the oven to 375*F.
• 5. Place them in a baking pan, one alongside the other, and sprinkle them with the lemon juice, olive oil and 1 cup of water. Cover the pan with a sheet of greaseproof paper and put a lid on, or just use tin foil to seal the top.
• 6. Alternatively bake them in a clay-pot. Bake them for 45minutes to 1h to reduce all liquid. Uncover towards the end of baking time. Serve hot or cold
• 7. I sprinkle with grated feta cheese just before they're done. This dish can be served warm or at room temperature with a piece of feta cheese on the side.
• 8. Note: In the authentic recipe the tomato, onion,garlic & parsley sauteed in olive oil and then added to the eggplant widen slit and then baked in the oven. My family prefers not to sautee. Either way it's delicious.

IMAM BAILDI WITH FETA

Steps:

• Wash the eggplants, cut the ends and make a big long cut for the filling.
• Grease the eggplants with 1 tablespoon of oil and grill them in a big baking mold under the grill of your oven. Turn it occasionally until they change the color everywhere.
• In the meanwhile (but keep an eye to the eggplants!) fry the onions in the remaining oil, when they are soft add the garlic and fry 3 more minutes.
• Add the half of the tomatoes, parsley, pepper and adjust the salt to your taste.
• Fill the eggplant in the baking mold with the onions mix, but let at least 3 tablespoons in the frying pan.
• Adjust on every eggplant one piece of feta.
• Arrange the potatoes (if used) around the eggplants.
• Add the remaining tomatoes to the onion in the pan. Add some salt (about 1/2 teaspoon) and cover your eggplants and potatoes with this tomatoes sauce.
• Bake about one hour at 170-180°C or until the potatoes are ready (heat and timing are basing it on convection oven). From time to time check if it is not drying to much, if necessary add 1/2 cup of water or white wine.

TOMATO EGGPLANT BAKE

Steps:

• Place eggplant slices in a colander over a plate; sprinkle with salt and toss. Let stand 30 minutes. Rinse and drain well. , Preheat oven to 450°. Layer eggplant, tomato and onion in a lightly greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Drizzle with 4 tablespoons butter; sprinkle with basil. Cover and bake 20 minutes. , Toss bread crumbs and remaining butter. Arrange mozzarella cheese over vegetables; sprinkle with crumb mixture and Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

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.

BAKED EGGPLANTS WITH TOMATOES, ONIONS, GARLIC - (IMAM BAILDI) RECIPE

Steps:

• Cut the stalks off the eggplants and rinse them. Using a sharp knife, slit them lengthwise on one side only, making sure you do not slit all the way through. They should open like a wallet, so you can put the stuffing in the opening. Shallow-fry them gently all around in 4 tablespoons olive oil. If not enough you can add some more oil in the frying pan. Take out and arrange side by side in a small oven dish and season them. Put the rest of the olive oil in a saucepan and sautee the onions and garlic in it until they are slightly golden. Add fresh tomatoes and half a cupful of water. Season. Add the oregano and sugar and cook gently, covered, for 15 minutes. With a spoon, fill the eggplants with this stuffing, opening them slightly. They should be quite soft by now. Virtually pile the stuffing in them, filling them generously. Normally they generate enough juices on their own so no addition of liquid is necessary in the oven dish. Cook in a pre-heated oven, gas no. 4 (350 grades F/180 grades C), for 4O minutes; baste them once during cooking.