FRIED AUBERGINES WITH MINCED MEAT (İmam Bayıldı)

İmam Bayıldı means İmam (the prayer leader in mosques) fainted after he ate this meal. Don't worry, he was not suffering any kind of food poisoning! Fainted is a saying in Turkish which means delighted, more to the degree of being in the seventh heaven. So, this meal is ambitious. Why don't you try yourself, and see if you're fainting as well?

Ingredients:

• 3 aubergines (1 kg)
• 1/2 kg minced meat
• 1 onion
• Parsley, half pack (20 g)
• Salcha, 1 tablespoon
• Red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon
• Black pepper, 1 tablespoon
• Garlic, 4 cloves
• 1 tomato
• 2-3 pointy green peppers
• 60 mL olive oil
• Frying oil
• 300 mL boiling water

Preparation:

• Cut the aubergines in four and cut in long, thin slices.  Soak them in cold, salty water for 15 minutes. Later, take them out on a napkin to rid of excess water.
• In a saucepan, roast the minced meat with oil and finely chopped onion for 15 minutes on a low heat. 
• Add pointy peppers and roast for a further 5 minutes. (Since I don't find pointy peppers here in Glasgow, I just omit this step but roast the meat for 20 minutes.)
• Chop the tomato in small cubes and slice the garlics, add the both to the roasting meat, and continue cooking another 5 minutes by mixing occasionally. 
• Add salcha and spices, swirl once or twice and turn the heat off. 
• Add chopped parsley and mix them all. 
• In a hot frying oil, fry the aubergines quickly.
• Put them on a napkin once again, this time to wipe off excess oil.
• In a small oven tray, align the half of the aubergines side by side forming an organized layer.
• On top, pour the stuffing, the roasted meat and spices. Cover the upper layer with the remaining aubergines, again forming a layer.
• Pour boiling water all over the tray.
• Cook in 200°C (gas mark 6) for 10 minutes.
• Enjoy!