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Post by tod2 on Nov 2, 2010 8:25:01 GMT
This Turkish dish takes it's name from the Imam, or Muslim holyman. He is said to have swooned with pleasure....or from over-eating, after being served this AUBERGINE dish:
Preperation time: 30 min Cooking: 40min
Ingredients(for 6): 3 large aubergines -eggplants -brinjals Salt & black pepper olive oil 3 large onions 12oz tomatoes 3 cloves garlic Level teaspoon ground cinnamon Level teaspoon tumeric Level tablespoon sugar Chopped parsely 2 heaped tablespoons toasted pine nuts(kernels)
Parcook the aubergines by dropping them in boiling water for 10min, microwaving or baking them in an oven. Cut them in half lengthways and scoop out most of the flesh and set aside, leaving a half inch thick shell. Arrange the shells in a buttered ovenproof dish seasoning them with salt & pepper. Pour 4 teaspoons of olive oil into each shell. Cook uncovered in an oven for 30min - preheated to 350F (mark 4). While the shells are baking, peel and finely chop onions, skin tomatoes if fresh or use canned tomatoes, peel and crush garlic. Heat two tablespoons oil in pan, add onion, garlic and fry gently for 5min. Add spices, sugar, tomatoes, parsley and season to taste. Reduce liquid by half then add chopped aubergine flesh and pine kernels. Stir gently, remove shells from oven filling them with the mixture. Serve hot or cold on their own or with roast or grilled meat.
I personally find myself adding either chillies, or more fresh herbs to my dish like finely chopped rosemary or even thyme.
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Post by hwinpp on Nov 2, 2010 9:39:59 GMT
Yep, it's good. I used to have it every time I went to a Turkish restaurant.
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 2, 2010 15:58:15 GMT
I'm frantically wondering if I could find any eggplants to buy. I want imam bayildi NOW.
I like to roast the eggplant -- prick it all over with a fork and put it directly on the flame of the stove, turning as necessary. It gives a subtle smoky flavor that would go well with this dish.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 2, 2010 17:24:41 GMT
Aubergines are generally a problem for people who live alone. Too massive.
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Post by tod2 on Nov 3, 2010 5:28:01 GMT
My three aubergines are still in the vegetable drawer but tonight I will make Imam Bayildi with one of them, and over the weekend do the Eggplant Parmesan dish.
Bixa - thanks for the 'flame' tip! I will try that for sure as I have a 'wok' gas flame next to my regular ceramic stove top.
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Post by tod2 on Nov 4, 2010 9:52:58 GMT
I made my Imam Bayildi last night The chilli added a real kick. Served it alongside savoury mince pie .
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 4, 2010 16:47:58 GMT
Absolutely beautiful and appetizing! The turmeric brightens the color and I imagine, the taste, too.
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Post by tod2 on Nov 4, 2010 16:58:21 GMT
Bixa - I found that when I tried to re-fill the shells I had far more than would fit in comfortably. What to do with the overflow? I stuck it into a plastic container in the fridge for use later. Well that later came tonight as I stirfried cabbage in a little olive oil & butter. I now had to either splash some teriyaki or soy sauce over it OR go to the fridge and get out the rest of the Imam Bayildi mix! I threw that in and served it with rice and barbequed leg of lamb (butterflied and marinated in Greek herbs and spices....not my hard work, the supermarkets). No mint sauce Kerouac only a savoury rich gravy to dot here and there.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2010 22:25:34 GMT
I have "overflow" from stuffing items more and more often -- generally I invent a way to use the excess within 48 hours. Most meat items I can cook in a frying pan and mix with noodles or else cool down and put on a salad.
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Post by hwinpp on Nov 5, 2010 4:33:55 GMT
Those do look good, Tod2. And with a leg of lamb there are few dishes that beat it.
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Post by tod2 on May 25, 2021 10:29:16 GMT
Kerouac - You mentioned making stuffed eggplant/aubergine for dinner and all the trouble you went to resulting in numerous dirty dishes. I thought you may enjoy watching this woman in Turkey making stuffed eggplants - it may make your effort seem effortless....it is a lovely video and reminded me of Mr.Tod and I. He in the veg garden and me in the kitchen working hand in hand.
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Post by tod2 on May 25, 2021 10:31:18 GMT
Duplicated recipe
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Post by lugg on May 25, 2021 20:41:33 GMT
I love aubergines but many in my circle don't. One good thing about living alone is I can cook them for myself.
One of my favourite ways is to roast a whole aubergine over the gas hob - when its burnt to a crisp I scoop out the flesh , mash it up with whatever I have in/ fancy - maybe garlic, whatever herbs I have , crème fraiche, veg maybe tomatoes or maybe spinach , with a dollop of spices . Sometimes I add meat... but rarely
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Post by mickthecactus on May 25, 2021 21:02:20 GMT
I like Aubergine pickle but that’s about it.
Cooked Aubergine is just mush.
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Post by onlyMark on May 26, 2021 5:05:44 GMT
We eat them fairly often, but not as a mush. They are sliced about 1cm thick and round, salted and left to get out some of the water, cleaned off, brushed with oil and fried or grilled until well browned and nearly crispy. Just as they are done, two discs/slices make a sandwich with mozzarella in between which is kept on a lower heat until about melted. Put then on a plate and doused in a tomato sauce as required - meaning a sauce made with garlic and herbs out of tomatoes, of which there are numerous Pomodoro type variations. Or I do Parmigiana.
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Post by tod2 on May 26, 2021 6:52:14 GMT
Mark I see you also like to grill discs of aubergine and have them with a tomato sauce. That is one of my quick breakfast dishes. But you don't have to go to all the trouble of salting first. The amount of water extracted is so small that I simply coat them in some kind of oil - mostly olive - then season (Steers potato spice is good) and chuck them in the air fryer. They turn lovely and brown and then served hot with normal everyday tomato sauce, like All Gold. I peel them for this breakfast dish but not for moussaka etc.
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Post by onlyMark on May 26, 2021 7:41:30 GMT
I don't have an air fryer and it takes quite a lot of oil to get them done properly without salting them. I think anyway. I'll try it without.
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Post by tod2 on May 26, 2021 10:31:58 GMT
Mark, If I were to do them the same way but not in air-fryer, I would lay them on a baking sheet in the oven on thermo fan. Near the grill so I could give them a blast when nearly cooked. I thought another quick way without an air-fryer could be to micro them until almost done, spray them or drizzle oil on and season, then under the grill.
Do you know how to pick/select a brinjal when at the market?
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Post by onlyMark on May 26, 2021 14:30:51 GMT
Are you going to say about male and female eggplants, innie and outie and oval versus round shaped dimple?
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Post by tod2 on May 26, 2021 15:47:38 GMT
Sort of... Chef John from Food Wishes tells us that you must look at the bottom of the brinjal - If it has a round little button of a naval, its male and very little seeds. If there is an elongated naval it is female and lots of seeds inside. So he says to remember "Ït's dots not slots you want". But to add to the advice, my Greek friend says never select a large brinjal. They always have too many seeds. So in that case I'm keeping an eye on my brinjal plants as they have so many developing at the moment.
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Post by kerouac2 on May 26, 2021 15:50:00 GMT
I only buy an aubergine or two about once a year, so it will be quite a while before I buy more. But they are so pretty on the vegetable stand!
I had a friend who made "aubergine pizza" -- in other words, thinly cut round aubergine slices covered with the usual pizza ingredients and then put into the oven. I'm pretty sure that the aubergines were already at least slightly cooked or it would have taken too long.
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