um...forgot to wait for it to cool off...but a taste after it was confirmed DELICIOUS! Was just fine hot! I didn't have frozen peas to put in my rice pilaf, so I use frozen corn kernels. Add extra flavor with a teaspoon of Javin brand Curry powder - the best I've ever used. Lasts years and years and years in the fridge. I will have to add way more parsley and dill next time - the imam bayildi could have used a more "herby" flavor - otherwise it was really delicious. The thinner halves of the Asian eggplant collapsed sooner than the thicker ones - they took about 1 3/4 hours to cook. The thicker pieces, 2 hours. Here's the recipe:
Imam Bayildi – Aubergine (Eggplant) with Onion and Tomato
from Classic Turkish Cookery, by Ghillie Basan
As the story goes, the imam swooned with sheer pleasure at the sight of this dish, lavishly dripping in olive oil. The aubergine (eggplant), onion and tomato should be so tender and delicately intertwined that they melt in the mouth. To achieve the effect enjoyed by the imam, there is only one way to cook this dish, and this is it. A green pepper, finely sliced, can be added to the mixture. (I didn’t add it.)
Serves 4
2 aubergines (eggplants)
1 large onion, finely sliced
6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
3 large tomatoes, skinned and chopped (I used two 14.5 oz. cans of diced tomatoes.)
bunch of fresh parsley, dill and basil, finely chopped
1 tsp salt
¼ pint/150ml olive oil
2 fl. oz/60ml water
1 tbsp sugar
Halve the aubergines lengthways. Sprinkle with salt and leave to weep for 5 minutes. Rinse well and place the halves side by side, flesh side upwards, in a wide pan.
In a bowl, mix the onion, tomatoes, garlic and herbs with the salt and a little of the oil. Carefully pile the mixture high on top of each aubergine half until all the flesh is covered. Mix the rest of the oil and the water with the sugar and pour it over and around the aubergines.
Cover the pan and cook gently for 1-2 hours. Occasionally baste with the oil, pushing the onion and tomato mixture down into the halves as they cook. The aubergines should end up soft and flat, completely filled with the mixture, sitting in a slightly caramelized flavoured oil.
Leave to cook in the oil. Transfer to a serving dish, spoon the oil over them and serve with wedges of lemon to squeeze over.
