Stuffed Baby Eggplants (Imam Bayaldi)
Submitted by Courtney (from Vegetarian Times)
6 baby eggplants
1 large onion, quartered and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
14-oz. can diced tomatoes in juice, drained and juice reserved
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. sugar
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional)
Cut eggplants in half lengthwise. Using a melon baller or small spoon, carefully
scoop out flesh, leaving about 1/8 inch and keeping the skin of eggplant intact.
Finely chop flesh and set aside. Arrange eggplant shells in large skillet
that will hold them snugly. Spray medium saucepan with cooking spray, heat over
medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened and beginning to
brown, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute more. Add
tomatoes, reserved eggplant flesh, parsley, bay leaf and cinnamon. Season with
salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until eggplant is soft and most of
the liquid has been absorbed, about 10 minutes. Remove pan from heat; discard
bay leaf and fill eggplant shells with mixture (they will be very full).
In small bowl, mix lemon juice, reserved tomato juice and sugar. Pour over
stuffed eggplants. Cover and cook over low heat until eggplants are tender,
about 30 minutes. Remove pan from heat and allow to cool in skillet.
Carefully transfer eggplants to a serving platter, reshaping if necessary.
Spoon pan juices over and around eggplants. Serve warm, at room temperature, or
cover and chill to serve cold. Sprinkle with chopped parsley if desired.
If you can't find baby eggplants, I am sure large ones would work as well,
you would just need less of them--maybe 3?
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