There are a lot of recipes that have a long history that is lost through time and this one is one of them. You see ideally the following recipe is one you make in the oven but not in this case.
You see not so long ago i had a discussion with my father and he was absolutely sure on the way the original imam baildi is cooked and he strict and absolute in his opinion. The original recipe is with the aubergines boiled up to the specific point where they are keeping there shape but also are sweet enough.
Ideally what you would be looking for is to have those light red aubergines which are more sweet. You can add potatoes if you want or portion of beef but if you decide it to have it as it is, you cant go wrong.
This is a recipe that comes from Istanbul and the times of the Ottoman empire and Byzantium but due to the history in the region a lot of different countries claim its origin. Well, we wont pretend history experts over here but it is a food that we had a lot when i was young…so it will be presented here.
The names comes from a tale of a Turkish imam, who swooned with pleasure after his wife presented him the following dish…and who can blame him?
Ingredients
- 2-3 aubergines cut in small chunks
- 1 can of tomato juice
- 1 onion chopped
- 1-2 slices of garlic chopped
- Salt/ pepper
- Olive Oil
Put a bit of olive oil in medium heat and add the onions and the slice’s of garlic. Watch out so the garlic doesnt become brown but a bit of pink and then add the aubergines and the tomato juice and stir. Add salt and pepper according to your preferences.
If needed add a bit of water and boil them for around 40mins. Be careful not to over do it as you need to have a thick sauce and the aubergines to hold there formations.
