Café Rouge describes themselves: "Good food ends with good talk! Come and enjoy our delicious homemade food, great coffee and friendly service. We heartily welcome you!" And so it was! I thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere and almost came fast friends with the owner Maggie 😊
But the food, that's the point, non? I ate "the imam fainted" dish for lunch - a dish which I had heard of, naturally, but had never had before. As it was my only experince until now, I can't really compare that much, but I can say, I have not been able to forget it since.
On Tuesday I had a package of ground meat and nothing else. I was fresh out of ideas of what to do until I saw aubergines (i.e. eggplants) in the shop! Not in season, but when I remembered the imam's predicaments, I just had to have this.
Saved my Tuesday. Will save another Tuesday. Very quick, supeeeeeeer tasty. Go, do. Have a happy Friday 💓
PS This recipe is based on multiple ones in the web, overridden all and handcrafted by me. I can take no account of how this is supposed to go. I think it shouldn't originally include meat - but it was in the Café Rouge's one and so it is on mine too.
The Fainted Imam (Pyörtynyt imaami)
1 eggplant per diner (it feels a lot but you'll be bound to eat it)
~100 g ground meat per diner
1 onion, diced
garlic
tomatoes (maybe 4)
tomato pyré
paprika powder
chili powder
cumin (juustokumina)
coriander powder
sumac
pepper
salt
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of sugar
First, wash the eggplants. Put on a pan as they naturally lie and cut lenghtwise almost in half, but don't cut through! Take off. Put olive oil in the pan and heat fairly hot (you're not deep frying, so not that hot). Put the eggplants on the pan, be careful, the oil might "jump". Put on a lid and let be until softened; until they sort of form a "pocket". But do not cook through yet. I have no idea now long mine were on... maybe 10-15 minutes? They need to soften considerably.
Meanwhile, on another pan, sauté diced onion until translucent, then add garlic and ground meat. Then add tomatoes, tomato puré and all of the seasonings. This is up to your taste, I'd say at least 1/4 teaspoon of all. You can let this sauce stew until the eggplants are ready.
Once you feel the eggplants are ready, put on a oven-proof pan (if they aren't already on one). They have "opened up" like you see on the pic. Scoop a good amount of the sauce in the eggplant. Bake in a 180 C oven for about 20-30 minutes.
I was VERY happy with mine! They maybe went a bit over as I was paddling on with something else, but it didn't affect anything. The pic is not much to look at, but it gives you an idea - I'm so hoping you'll taste these! :)
