EGGPLANT IN OLIVE OIL or THE DELIGHT OF IMAM Imambayildi
RECIPE 1
5 Servings
1 and 1/2 tea cups water
1 medium tomato
3 cloves of garlic
3/4 glass of olive oil
5 medium eggplants
5 not too large onions
chopped parsley, salt to taste

Remove the stems of the eggplants leaving 2 cm remaining. Peel the eggplant leaving length-wise bands 2 cm wide (to prevent the eggplant from crumbling while cooking). Cook them in olive oil, turning them on all sides. (They may be previously treated with salt to prevent them from absorbing too much oil while being cooked).

In a frying pan, brown the onion which has been cut into very fine rings, and the garlic cut into small pieces. When the onion and garlic begin to turn brown, add the chopped parsley. Place the eggplants side by side in a baking dish or in. a large cake mold. Split the eggplants lengthwise and remove some of the seeds if necessary, spreading the two halves apart. In the cavity, put the mixture of garlic, onion and cooked parsley. Garnish each eggplant with a tomato ring.

Place the remaining oil on the bottom of the dish or mold, (if none remains, make a sauce with 2 or 3 tomatoes). Place in a warm oven for 20 minutes. Serve when cool.

RECIPE 2

This recipe uses the same ingredients as recipe 1. It has the advantage of being simpler and quicker to prepare.

Peel the eggplants as explained in recipe 1. Place the eggplants side by side in a covered aluminum, pyrex or stainless steel baking dish. With a knife slice into the eggplant, removing a wedge.

Cut each onion in half, and each half into fine half-moons. Place these onions in a bowl and sprinkle abundantly with salt. Now knead the onions with the hand until they give up their bitter juice.

Wash the onion with water and drain. Add to the onion the chopped garlic, chopped parsley, the tomato which has been peeled, seeded and out. into small pieces.

Fill the wedges in the eggplants with this filling. On the bottom of the dish, pour the oil and 3/4 glass of water. Cover. Cook on a very low heat for 45 minutes. Serve when cool.