Imam Bayaldi
6 long aubergines or 3 normal ones
4 – 5 onions, sliced thinly
3 – 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
500ml tomato juice or ‘V8’ juice
1 tsp tomato purée
Olive oil
Sunflower oil
Salt and Pepper
A few chilli flakes ( optional)
First of all, if using bulb shaped aubergines, slice in half from top to bottom. Then, place flat on its cut side and using a sharp, small knife, put fairly deep slits in the skin side. Depending on the size of the aubergine, you need to put about 4 to 6 long slits from top to bottom but leaving the aubergine intact.
Then turn the aubergine over, and score the fleshy side with a ‘criss-cross’ pattern.
If you use the long stripy aubergines, all you need to do is take the stalk off and put in maybe 5-6 slits lengthwise.
The aubergines need to be intact.
Now put about 150ml of sunflower oil in a good sized frying pan and fry the aubergines on all sides. You may need to add a little more sunflower oil, as the aubergines tend to absorb the oil. Put aside into a roasting dish.
Now in another frying pan, put 4-5 tablespoons of olive oil. Went it is fairly hot add the onions and fry them gently until they start to caramelise a little. Add the garlic and allow to soften but make sure it doesn’t burn.
Now add the tomato juice and tomato purée and the seasoning – I find a few chilli flakes gives the dish a nice little kick !
Allow the mixture to simmer until it had a jam-like consistency.
Now take your tray of fried aubergines and gently prise open the slits and out a teaspoonful of the onion mixture into each of the slits. If you have any of the mixture left after this, dot it on the top of the aubergines.
Sprinkle with a little water, and bake in the oven at 185 degrees for about 35 minutes until nicely golden.