Name: Eggplants Stuffed with Onions and Tomatoes (Melintzanes Papoutsakia)
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: ½-1 teaspoon minced fresh chili peppers, or ⅓-½ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes; 1½ cups chopped fresh tomatoes or imported canned; ½-1 cup bread crumbs; 8 tomato slices; ½ cup olive oil; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1-2 green bell peppers, cut into strips; Olive oil, for frying; 4 large onions, sliced lengthwise; 1½ cups grated kefalotyri or pecorino cheese; 1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley; Sea salt; 4 small eggplants

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

The Foods of Greece

By Aglaia Kremezi

Published 1993

About

Eggplant cooked in this way is sometimes called Imam bayildi (the Imam fainted), presumably from the delight this dish gave him. But don’t be fooled by the Turkish name. I have eaten a nearly identical dish in Sicily, which has never been under Turkish domination. This recipe may have originated in Persia.

In the version often encountered in Greek restaurants, a meat stuffing is used and bechamel sauce or mashed potatoes cover the eggplant. Serve with fresh