Traditional Food Recipes! Your complete guide to traditional food and traditional recipes. Traditional Afghan, African, Amish, Asian, Cajun, Caribbean, Chinese, Croatian, Dutch, English, French, German, Austrian, Greek, Hungarian, Indian, Indonesian, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Jewish, Korean, Mennonite, Mexican, Middle Eastern, Native American, Oceanian, Pennsylvania Dutch, Philippine, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Scandinavian, South American, Southwestern, Spanish, Swiss, Tex Mex, Thai, Ukrainian, Vietnamese and Welsh.
Imam Bayaldi (Stuffed Aubergines)
4 medium-size eggplant
2/3 cup olive oil
2 large onions, sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
4 large tomatoes, peeled
Handful of parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
Nutmeg, to taste
Cut eggplants in half lengthwise. Scoop out a little of the flesh to make room for the filling. Sprinkle the insides and reserved flesh with salt; set aside for about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan; add onions and garlic, and sauté until soft and golden. Stir in tomatoes, parsley and seasoning and cook 5 minutes more.
Heat remaining olive oil in a pan and fry the eggplant flesh for a few minutes, then add to the tomato mixture.
Fry the eggplant halves in the same pan, until the flesh softens, adding more oil if necessary.
Arrange eggplant in a baking dish and spoon on the stuffing. Pour 2 1/2 cups boiling water into the dish, cover and simmer on low heat until the eggplants are cooked, about 1 hour.
This can be served hot or cold.
Imam Bayaldi (Stuffed Eggplant)
This is both a Greek and Turkish dish and is a favorite for a meatless main course. The name means "the holy man fainted" either because the eggplant was so good or the amount of olive oil used!
2 medium eggplants
4 scallions (including green tops), chopped
6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 cup chopped celery, including some leaves
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 teaspoon crumbled bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried mint
3 tablespoons diced fresh parsley
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
1 cup chicken broth
Freshly-ground black pepper
Kalamata olives (optional)
Feta cheese (optional)
Peel eggplants lengthwise, leaving 1-inch bands of peel. Halve eggplants lengthwise. Scoop out centers to make boats. Chop scooped-out eggplant pulp; put into a large mixing bowl. Add scallions, garlic, celery, tomatoes, green pepper, bay leaves, oregano, mint and parsley; mix well. Stuff eggplant boats with mixture. Sprinkle with a little olive oil. Place boats in a baking dish. Pour chicken broth and remaining olive oil into dish, around the boats. Cover and bake in a preheated 325 degrees F oven for 45 minutes, or until eggplant is tender. Garnish with freshly ground black pepper, Kalamata olives and feta cheese.
NOTE: This dish does not freeze well.
