Imam Bayildi - Stuffed Eggplant

 Imam bayildi, literally: "the imam (priest) is exhilarated"; even more literally: "the imam fainted", one of the most notable Turkish zeytinyağlı (olive oil) dishes, is braised eggplant stuffed with onion, garlic and tomatoes, simmered in olive oil, and served at room temperature. It is a variation of Karnıyarık, which additionally contains minced beef.

The name supposedly derives from a tale of a Turkish imam (priest), who swooned with pleasure at the flavot when presented with this dish by his 

wife, although other accounts suggest he fainted at the cost of the ingredients or the amount of oil used to cook it.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

4 medium aubergines

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 green peppers, seeded and chopped

1 red peppers, seeded and chopped 
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 large tomatoes blanched skinned and chopped

parsley 

black pepper

salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 lemon juice

1/2 ground cinnamon

Method:

 Heat oven to 190°C.Meanwhile slice each eggplant in half lengthwise, scoop out the flesh from the eggplants and chop pulp and place into a colander. Sprinkle with salt and let eggplant pulp drip for 30 minutes. Blot moisture from eggplant pulp with a paper towel.  Blanch the aubergine shells in boiling water for 2 minutes then drain upside down.

 Heat 3 tbsp of oil in a pan and saute the onion until soft and golden, add crushed garlic and fry for 2 minutes. Add parsley, chopped aubergine, tomatoes, green and red pepper, cinnamon, salt and black pepper and cook for about 5 minutes. Add lemon juice and sugar to taste.

 Arrange the aubergine boats in a baking dish and fill each one with the filling, cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 25 minutes