EGGPLANT "IMAM BAILDI"

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Eggplant

An Imam is a Muslim religious leader. "Baildi" means fainted in Tourkish. The story has it that one day he came home from work and his wife had made this dish. He liked it so much that he gobbled it up so fast, he fainted. lol This is a Tourkish dish and brought to Greece in 1912 when the greek population was turned away. Ever...

Provided by Maria *

Categories     Other Main Dishes

Time 2h

Number Of Ingredients 9

6 long eggplants ( i use purple)stems left on
1 c olive oil
4 onions, 2 finely sliced & 2 finely chopped
2 or 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped or mashed
2 Tbsp finely chopped parsley
salt & freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
4 tomatoes, sliced (i prefer chopped)
breadcrumbs

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.

johnnie sears
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I would definitely make this dish again. It's a great way to enjoy eggplant.


Aafaque Ali
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This dish was a bit too spicy for my taste, but it was still very good.


Nate Jax
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This recipe is a great way to use up leftover eggplant. It's also a great dish to serve to vegetarians.


Teraji Mceachern
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I'm not a big fan of eggplant, but this dish was surprisingly good. The eggplant was tender and the sauce was flavorful.


Rakesh Jha
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This recipe was easy to follow and the results were amazing. The eggplant was cooked perfectly and the sauce was flavorful and rich.


Gabriel Trisha
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I loved the unique flavor of this dish. The combination of eggplant, tomatoes, and spices was perfect.


mushy
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This dish was a bit too time-consuming for me, but it was worth it in the end. The eggplant was cooked to perfection and the sauce was delicious.


SHARMILA BYANJUU
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I found this recipe to be a bit bland. It needed more salt and pepper.


angelic key-foskey
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This recipe is a great way to showcase the flavors of eggplant. The combination of spices and herbs is perfect.


Naeem Baba
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I followed the recipe exactly and it came out perfectly. The eggplant was tender and flavorful and the sauce was delicious.


Sandra Montejano
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This dish was a bit too oily for my taste, but the flavors were good.


Sheikh abdulbasit Olamimo
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I've made this recipe several times and it always turns out great. It's a great way to use up eggplant and it's always a crowd-pleaser.


Naime Hossin
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This eggplant dish was a hit with my family! The flavors were amazing and the eggplant was cooked perfectly.