Wednesday 12 June 2019

Imam

This popular greek (mediterranean) dish comes with a turkish name.  Called simply 'Imam' by most, its full title is 'Imam Bayialdi', the Imam fainted, apparently when he saw how much olive oil his wife had used in the cooking.  Or maybe it was just so delicious he fell down in an ecstasy.

I have cut down on the olive oil at least by half by baking the aubergine instead of frying them.  Eggplant soak up olive oil like a sponge.






I  cut the aubergine (eggplant) in half, score it quite deeply with a knife and bake it in the oven for about half an hour till it is soft.  I just put them in a baking dish, no oil, no water or other liquid.

Then I scoop out the insides, keeping it to put in the filling.  When the aubergines are soft and have cooled a little it is easy to remove the inside flesh



Then into a pot go sliced onions, not diced, 2 or 3 chopped garlic cloves, 2 or 3 big tomatoes diced, a few tablespoons of olive oil, chopped parsley, mint and basil, salt and pepper.  Add the chopped aubergine that you removed from each half.

Cook till the onions are soft but not browned, add extra tomato juice or water if it is a little dry


Here is where you can add feta cheese to make it just a little tastier.  Drizzle olive oil over each half aubergine, put crumbled feta in first and then fill up each little 'boat' with the onion and tomato mixture till they overflow and fill the dish with tomatoes and onions..

To keep it moist cover with slices of tomato.

Pour some more olive oil over the top of all this and then bake at 180oC for about half an hour.  I over cooked mine and they were a bit black on top just like my stuffed tomatoes.  This blackened crust just gives it more flavour.  That's my excuse anyway.


Imam - eggplants baked with tomatoes, onions and garlic

i've seen several greek cooking programmes lately where they have made these.

Each cook has a slight variation.

One drizzled balsamic vinegar over the shells before adding the feta.  Another added honey to the tomato sauce.  Adding a little sweetener of some kind cuts through the acid of the tomato.

One cook added raisins which I thought was a great idea but my traditional greek person who loves this dish would never eat it with raisins.  This same cook also served them with greek yoghurt.

They are always eaten with a big slice of feta cheese, bread and don't forget that glass of wine, after all red wine is very much part of the mediterranean diet.

If you don't like eggplant then try this recipe with zuchhini.  Same method.  Cut them in half, score them, bake till soft, hollow out and fill with the tomatoes, onion, garlic, herbs etc

Housewives used to salt the eggplant and soak them in water for an hour to remove the bitterness.  Waste of time.  I've never done that and they have never been bitter.

Bon appetit
Kali Orexi
Enjoy your food!


An added note, nothing to do with eggplant.  Thunder has been rumbling around for over an hour and the sky is lit up with really bright lightening flashes.  The storm rumbled round and round us and finally the rain has started.  Not enough to really water the garden though.  It is beautiful and cool now and I have been standing on the terrace enjoying the show.  Methinks it will only be a short one before it rumbles on over towards Athens.






17 comments:

  1. They sound very yummy and they have very little carbs so I might have to add them to my list of foods I can eat
    We have had so much rain. I only hope it’s falling in the catchment areas as well as our dams are low

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    1. The ants appeared and then it rained here. When I see those nasty big black ants which invade the kitchen I always remember you! Not because youre big and nasty lol
      You are so right. Those ants know, whatever the forecast. When the rain started they all disappeared. Wierd

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    2. I know it bizarre how they go. I guess they just hide and wait it out

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  2. That sounds delicious. I have never baked aubergine like that - must try it. As you say, they absorb a lot of oil when you fry them.

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    1. They are good but certainly dont need all that extra oil

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  3. This is a favourite here too, but it'll be a while before my Aubergine plants give me the goods! I love them all ways.

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    1. Our aubergine plants look healthy but no sight of fruit yet. Guess it will be a while here too

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  4. Sounds good. We have been cutting down on our meat in take recently. Never tried Greek wine. Any recommendations for a nice bottle of wine?

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    1. A nice bottle of greek wine? Try NZ sauv blanc!
      We have just been given 24 bottles of a wine called Malagousia. Its as good as any of them. Dont buy retsina, it is preserved with pine resin and has a distinct taste which you may or may not like

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  5. Here, too, I make it just like this, sometimes I add ground meat.

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    1. I like it with the meat but usally just make it this way for my greek husband

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  6. I am not keen on aubergines but will try this with courgettes as you suggest.

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    1. The zucchinis made need a little longer in the oven to soften. I prefer zucchini but other people do not!

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  7. Weird name. -chuckle- but it sounds good! Another healthy vegetable dish!

    Oh and I'd like raisins added. Even if it would not be "pure." >,-)))

    ✨✨✨✨

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    1. Definitely a Turkish name. It's a wonder the Greeks haven't changed it!

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  8. ok I"m going to make that, I love eggplant and here they are in season.

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  9. Good luck! Ours are just coming into season

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