1 medium eggplant, uniformly sliced crosswise in ½ inch pieces

1 large onion, sliced in thin circles

2 medium tomatoes, sliced in thin circles

1 green pepper, sliced in thin circles

3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced in thin circles

2 cups crushed tomatoes, or 1 15-ounce can, crushed tomatoes

1 teaspoon basil

1 teaspoon oregano

1/4  teaspoon salt

Dash or two of cayenne pepper

Ground black pepper to taste

1 tablespoon olive oil

Garnish: 1/2 cup fresh parsley sprigs or fresh basil

1. Wash eggplant and remove stem. Uniformly slice crosswise in 1/2 inch pieces. 
2. Slice onion, fresh tomatoes, green pepper, and garlic cloves in thin circles.
3. Combine canned crushed tomatoes, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper.
4. Spread the crushed tomatoes mixture on the bottom of a greased baking pan. Layer over the tomato mixture: eggplant, onion, fresh tomatoes, and green pepper, arranging the vegetable pieces according to size. Top each stack with a slice of fresh garlic and drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
5. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 15 minutes, or until desired tenderness. Cool, then serve as an appetizer or side dish garnished with parsley or fresh basil leaves.

Note

“Imam Bayildi” is a Turkish phrase meaning, “the imam fainted.” Legend has it that when it was prepared in an Armenian village (then under Turkish rule), a priest fainted from delight on first tasting this delicious dish! This is a much lower fat/lower calorie dish than the original recipe, because I have used only 1 tablespoon of olive oil instead of up to 8 tablespoons as mentioned in some recipes. I have tried preparing it  by spritzing olive oil over the eggplant and vegetable stacks, but I think even 1 tablespoon of olive oil adds flavor.

© Mary Hunt

7/25/22