Imam Baildi With Feta Recipes

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 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.

IMAM BAYILDI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment and brush with olive oil. Slit the eggplants down the middle, being careful not to cut through the skin. Place on the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, until the outer skin begins to shrivel. Remove from the oven and transfer, cut side down, to a colander set in the sink. Allow to drain for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat in a large, lidded skillet and add the onions. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are very tender, 5 to 8 minutes, and add the garlic. Cook, stirring, for 30 seconds to a minute, until fragrant. Remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl. Add the tomatoes, herbs, salt to taste and 1 teaspoon of the sugar and 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil.
• Turn the eggplants over and place in the pan, cut side up. Season with salt. Fill with the onion and tomato mixture. Mix together the remaining olive oil, the remaining sugar, the water and the lemon juice. Drizzle over and around the eggplants. Cover the pan and place over low heat. Cook gently for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, checking the pan for liquid and basting from time to time with the liquid in the pan, and adding water to the pan if it becomes too dry. By the end of cooking the eggplants should be practically flat and the liquid in the pan slightly caramelized. Spoon this juice over the eggplant. Allow to cool in the pan, and serve at room temperature.

IMAM BAYILDI WITH BBQ LAMB & TZATZIKI

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Halve the aubergines lengthways and score the flesh side deeply, brush with a good layer of olive oil and put on a baking sheet. Roast for 20 mins or until the flesh is soft enough to scoop out.
• Fry the onion in a little oil until soft, add the garlic and cinnamon and fry for 1 min. Once the aubergines are cool enough to handle, scoop out the centres. Roughly chop the flesh and add it to the onions. Halve the tomatoes, scoop the seeds and juice into a sieve set over a bowl, then chop the flesh. Add the chopped tomatoes to the pan and cook everything for 10 mins until nice and soft. Add a little more oil if you need to. Stir in the parsley, leaving a little for scattering at the end.
• Lay the aubergine halves in a baking dish and divide the tomato mixture between them. Pour over the juice from the tomatoes, drizzle with more olive oil and bake for 30 mins until the aubergines have collapsed.
• Meanwhile, mix the tzatziki ingredients together and put in a small serving bowl.
• Season the lamb with salt, black pepper and a pinch of paprika. Griddle, grill or barbecue for 3 mins on each side or until the fat is nicely browned, then put in a serving dish and squeeze over the lemon halves. Scatter the aubergines with parsley, then serve with the lamb and tzatziki.

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.