Recipe: Imam Bayildi and Help From a “Little Greek Cookbook”
On our last trip to the Farmer’s Market we also procured some little eggplants. Not the Japanese kind, just small eggplants. I love getting these because they taste so amazing like eggplant is supposed to taste. Many times when I get the big ones they are full of seeds and the flesh is bitter, even when you salt them and let them drain. But these small ones are delicious and need no salting. One of my favorite things to make with eggplant is Imam Bayildi or The Imam Fainted. Apparently it is the copious amounts of olive oil in the dish that made him faint, but it is not clear whether he fainted from meanness or delight, so the legend says.
I have loved cooking since I was a young girl. I spent many many hours in the kitchen with my grandmother and my mother watching. That is what they say about writers – we are observers first and foremost, as being involved would make us lose our perspective. But I also helped these ladies of the kitchens. I was cooking full meals by the time I was 12 years old. My first love affair with food was with Greek cooking. The first time I had Dolmas, Tzatziki, Melitzanosalata and Feta Cheese I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I understood the magic of food and how it could transport you somewhere else. So began my love affair with food and traveling the world through my palette.
My love of food was noticed early. My grandfather used to love to watch me eat because he could tell how much I enjoyed it. When my friends came over to play, we would experiment in the kitchen, trying to bake cakes- that was before I understood about baking powder and soda, though so you can imagine the many flops! I am not sure when I received this cookbook:
but I remember always having it -it was one of the first of many and probably still my all time favorite Greek cookbook. The recipes are easy to follow, it is unpretentious , the pictures of the food are drawn and it is where I learned that an eggplant is called aubergine and zucchini, courgette, which made me feel very smart and wordly.
I suggest when making Imam Bayildi, make extra. It is delicious and it goes down very easy!
I welcome comments from all my experts in Greek Cookery out there. I have never seen this dish on any menu at any Greek restaurant I have ever been to…do you have any stories about this dish?
INGREDIENTS:
4 aubergines (@ 2 lbs)
½ cup olive oil for frying
½ cup onions, finely sliced
3 cloves garlic, finely sliced
4 TBS olive oil
1 14 oz can of whole plum tomatoes , chopped( 1 lb of fresh can be substituted, but I prefer the results of the canned better)
1 tsp dried oregano
4 TBS fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 tsp tomato paste diluted in a teacup of hot water
salt & pepper to taste
METHOD:
Rinse and dry the aubergines. Slit them on one side, lengthwise, like a pouch (I never understood this-so I just slit it down the middle, lengthwise – it does not create a pouch, so I scoop out a little of flesh with a teaspoon after they have been fried to create the pouch). Fry them whole, turning them over and pressing them open on their split sides like a kite, until the inside is light golden. Drain on paper towels. Arrange the aubergines side by side in a medium sized oven dish and season with salt and pepper.
Sautee onions in the olive oil until transparent, add garlic and stir briefly until aromatic. Add tomatoes, herbs and seasoning and cook for about 15 minutes or until sauce is thick and not liquidy.
Fill the pouch of the aubergines with the sauce (this is why I scoop a little of the flesh out, I add the sauce and then put the flesh back on top of the sauce). Add the cup of water with 1 tsp of tomato paste to the pan. I always sprinkle a little feta on top for good measure! Bake at 350 F for 50-60 minutes. Make sure to serve with bread to sop up the juices or scarpetta as we say in Italian!
Enjoy!
Peter - January 15, 2008 at 3:30 pm
I too love those lil’ eggplants, so cute.
I’ve been roasting the eggplants of late, not as heavy and the fried variety and I finish off with good olive oil on top.
Deborah - January 15, 2008 at 3:55 pm
What fun memories, and that cookbook sounds like a wonderful one. I’m not very familiar with Greek food, but it is something I’d like to try!
Elly - January 15, 2008 at 4:16 pm
That looks great, Jen! I have never heard of that before and don’t recognize the word “bayildi” or a derivative of it. I think it may be a Turkish dish. Either way, it sounds and looks fantastic. And I only very, very recently learned that courgette was zucchini, lol.
ozlem - January 15, 2008 at 4:17 pm
Hi,
I think this recipe belong to Turkish Cusine. Greece and Turkey have very similar on food and recipes and imam bayildi is a Turkish name for this dish.
núria - January 15, 2008 at 4:41 pm
I love aubergines in all ways… and yours look fantastic… well, all dish looks great!
What a wonderful gradfather you must have had. Experimenting in the kitchen and playing with textures and kitchen’s ingredients is something all kids love!!!!
Our “Samfaina” is very similar to Imam Bayildi, same ingredients plus zucchini and just saucepan, not oven.
Adriana - January 15, 2008 at 6:08 pm
I love greek food!!!!
Jenn the new URL of my blog it’s:
http://www.madeleinecocina.com
Could you change the URL in The Foodie Blogroll??
Thanks!!!!
Jen in MI - January 15, 2008 at 8:13 pm
I’ve had it in Turkish restaurants and it’s a specialty of a wonderful Turkish place here. I love that dish. And I almost fainted from pleasure the first time I had it at Ayse’s.
Thanks so much for sharing!
Kevin - January 15, 2008 at 8:23 pm
Tasty looking dish! I really enjoy “traveling” the world through cooking. It is a lot of fun!
Peter G - January 15, 2008 at 8:58 pm
Mmmmm…memories. Whilst I’m not familiar with the name of this dish, its very similar to some of the eggplant dishes my parents have cooked up. Nice one Jenn.
courtney - January 15, 2008 at 9:24 pm
Yummm. That looks so good. I love Greek Food.
Bellini Valli - January 15, 2008 at 10:49 pm
I didn’t discover Greek food until I was in my early 20’s. My husband took me to Theoz restaurant on one of our many trips to the Okanagan from Calgary.I was hooked for life!!! He has a Greek uncle in Montreal who still sends me Christmas presents even though my husband is now my ex-husband. I have no stories about this eggplant dish coming from a British background. Ask me about custard and Yorkshire pudding!
Marie - January 15, 2008 at 11:47 pm
Love eggplant! Always thinking of different ways to cook them! Funny, I just recently did a post on them too! I agree the little ones are less bitter.
Johanna - January 16, 2008 at 3:05 am
I often see this recipe in vegetarian cookbooks but have only heard it was the imam fainted but didn’t know the legend was that it was due to all the olive oil. Great story! Yours looks delicious – even better with fetta! Am sure the imam would faint in delight 🙂
Patricia Scarpin - January 16, 2008 at 9:21 am
Jenn, I love anything aubergine, so this dish is perfect for me!
The Leftover Queen - January 16, 2008 at 12:37 pm
Hi Peter! I love roasted eggplants. I do that a lot in the summer. This dish is so hearty and nice for winter.
Deborah! Greek food is the food of the Gods! Trust me, once you try it, you will get hooked.
Hi Elly, yes I should have guessed that it is Turkish. Makes sense now. Don’t feel too bad – but now you can feel ultra cool that you know, now!
Thanks you, Ozlem. That is very helpful. I appreciate your visit and comment.
Thanks Nuria! Yeah, my grandfather was the best. He had a very soft spot for his grandkids.
Hi Adriana, sure! Thanks for the update.
Ok Jen! See the legend is not too far off then! I know I really love it too.
Hi Kevin! Yes, it is amazing how you can do that, huh?
Hi Peter! I love this dish. It is so yummy! Fun that food can stir up memories too, huh?
Courtney, I love Greek food too!
Valli! Even though you have a British backround you still are quite a font of knowledge when it comes to Greek cooking! You must be Greek at heart!
Hi Marie, I know, it is great how much you can do with eggplant – that is probably why they are one of my favorite foods.
Yes, Johanna, it is a great vegetarian entree. I have served it many times to vegetarian friends of mine, who are sick to death of pasta primavera! Yes, I faint a little every time I have this dish too. Something to savour for sure.
It is a great little recipe, Patricia, isn’t it?!
Matin - January 16, 2008 at 1:17 pm
That looks great Jenn, I love eggplants too and use very opportunity to cook something with them, It also works well in combination with fried garlic and tomatoes.
X M
PS: I was also famous for my passion for food as a child:-)
Sylvia - January 16, 2008 at 3:36 pm
I love aubergines, and Greek recipes are perfect for it
Looks really good and most important : Delicious !!
Deb - January 16, 2008 at 7:37 pm
I have just started learning about Greek food from blogging, especially Valli and Peter. Now you are on the list also! I have one Greek cookbook in my collection, “The Good and Wine of Greece” by Diane Kochilas. I reviewed that book a little bit ago, but the most used recipe out of that book is for the skordalia! Hubby loves it! This recipe looks great and very flavorful. I was just reading your previous post on the Farmers Mkt. You are so lucky to have one, and being in your location, it probably runs all year round! That chard is awesome!!!!
Maryann - January 16, 2008 at 9:10 pm
LOVE Greek food! That photo is wonderful btw 🙂
MyKitchenInHalfCups - January 17, 2008 at 12:49 am
Jenn your photo are fabulous here. This sounds like a wonderful dish. And I really enjoy eggplant. Great story about the fainting.
MyKitchenInHalfCups - January 17, 2008 at 12:49 am
And I love that cookbook!
Ivy - January 17, 2008 at 5:26 am
Hi Jen,
I don’t want to get into a Greek/Turkish fuel but I just want to ask my Turkish friend, from whom did they learn to cook, was it maybe from the Byzantines?
Yes, it is a great dish but tourists won’t find it in any fancy restaurants or tavernas. They have to check where the locals eat, in small neighbourhood restaurants called “mageireio” where you can find all similar dishes called “ladera” from the word ladi meaning oil, consequently oily dishes.
Ivy - January 17, 2008 at 5:27 am
Sorry by typing quickly I made a mistake fued not fuel (lol)
Suzana - January 17, 2008 at 8:17 am
Your greek cookbook is so cute! I love aubergines – it’s a tasty vegetable and so pretty!! Never try it this way but will remember next time.
The Leftover Queen - January 17, 2008 at 10:34 am
Hi Matin! Isn’t it great to have this food passion, even as a child. I love that so many of my blogging friends can relate to that!
Yes, Sylvia, it is quite delicious! Thanks.
Deb, Greek cookery is wonderful. Once you get hooked there is just no going back! It is wonderful that we have all these great resources in the blogging world on different types of cuisines. I think it is great.
Me too, Maryann! Thanks!
Hi Tanna! Thanks! I know I love that little story too.
Hi Ivy, my understanding is that there is quite a ot of similarity between the cuisines of Greece and Turkey (at least to the restaurants and friends’ homes that I have been to), which makes sense since they are so near to each other geographically. Well certainly when I go to visit Greece I will want to go where the locals eat! Will it be hard to find those places not speaking Greek?
Hi Suzana – it is a great little book! You should try it – it is delicious!
Ivy - January 17, 2008 at 4:13 pm
I am not really sure if it will be easy or not. These restaurants are nowhere near the places the tourists visit. In the tourist places you will find moussakas, gyros, souvlaki, etc. I think if you ask around you’ll find them.
BaL(Banu) - January 18, 2008 at 7:13 pm
Jenn so lovely to see Imam Bayildi. I do like this dish, too. But “Imam Bayildi” is a Turkish name itself. I had been so shocked when I first saw this dish in a Greek Cookbook with it’s Turkish name :)))) So I wasn’t in a day dream as I see it here, too :)))
The Leftover Queen - January 19, 2008 at 8:44 am
Hi Ivy, Well I do like all those other foods you metioned, but I would like to try something different than what I am used to, that is the joy of eating while traveling.
Hi Banu, Yes, it is funny that the Turkish name for this dish ends up in a Greek cookbook, but you know what? I am sure there is a reason. Maybe the author is confused, perhaps the first time she had the dish it was called Imam Bayildi? Who knows why these things happen. But is sure is interesting!
BaL(Banu) - January 19, 2008 at 9:04 am
Yes maybe confused… No matter what it was 🙂 The dish is soooo delicious, and healthy 😀
Windy - January 20, 2008 at 12:54 pm
Wow! Seems easy enough to make it!
I never knew that one needs to salt eggplants before cooking until I’ve seen Gordon Ramsay mentioned it on telly. I remember my mom used to cut it and stewed it with beef mince and soy sauce, or even just steamed it and ate it just like that! Maybe, sadly, we could only get the proper eggplants from farm market! 🙁
The Leftover Queen - January 21, 2008 at 10:14 am
I hear that Banu!
Yes, Windy, this is a great recipe! You know I never usually salt my eggplants all tthat often either – I don’t think I have enough patience! That recipe that your mom made sounds great!
Mary in LA - January 22, 2008 at 5:58 pm
I heard the story as a tale of Persia:
A certain imam was to marry a girl who, among her many other virtues, was a very good cook. She made one eggplant dish that was his absolute favorite. The imam asked the girl’s father to pay her dowry in the olive oil required for the dish, so that she could cook it for him every day. The marriage took place, and the imam’s new father-in-law sent the bride’s dowry in the form of huge jars of olive oil. The first evening the imam’s favorite dish was waiting for him when he came home, just as liked it. Likewise the second evening. On the third evening, he was surprised to find that the eggplant dish had not been prepared. “Alas, my lord!” said his new bride. “The first two nights’ dishes have used up all the oil!” Whereupon he fainted from the shock.
I don’t have a source for this at the moment, but I’ll see if it’s in one of my cookbooks.
Great site, by the way!
The Leftover Queen - January 22, 2008 at 6:54 pm
What a great story, Mary! I like that!
Mary in LA - January 23, 2008 at 4:48 am
I’m glad you liked it! 🙂
There’s a variant of the story online here:
http:// everything2.com / index.pl? node_id=1251704
(I put spaces in the link in case your blog software is allergic to URLs.) In this version, the girl is the daughter of an olive oil merchant (which also helps explain the olive oil as part of the dowry).
I’ve bookmarked your site. I’ll be back soon!
Kaykat - January 31, 2008 at 5:03 pm
I’ve heard the same story that Mary mentioned.
I’ve cooked Imam Bayildi a few times, it is an eternal favourite – I discovered the recipe in one of my vegetarian cookbooks and was totally taken with the name 🙂