Spinach pancakes

Imam bayildi
Stuffed eggplant

• 400 GRAM SPINACH
• 200 GRAM SELF RAISING FLOUR
• 1 1/2 CUP MILK
• 2 EGGS
• 200 GRAM CHEESE, sliced

• 2 EGGPLANTS
• 2 ONIONS, chopped
• 2 TOMATOES, peeled
• 3 CLOVES GARLIC, mashed
• 1 CHILI PEPPER, chopped
• HANDFUL OREGANO, chopped

Stir fry the spinach 3 minutes, chop it and push out the water as much as possible. Mix the flour with the eggs and the milk and add salt to taste. Add the spinach, stir well. Heat some oil in two frying pans and make small heaps of batter in each pan; fry for 5 minutes. Turn the pancakes around, put a slice of cheese on top and bake another 4 minutes.

This is a recipe from Finland. 2 May is Day of the Finnish Identity, for the birthday of Johan Vilhelm Snellman in 1806. He was a philosopher from Sweden and helped establish the semi-autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland after the Russian conquest. Click on culinary calendar for more links between cooking and history.

Peel the eggplants on the top side and fry them 5 minutes on both sides in olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Cut a hole in the top side. Fry the onion and garlic 10 minutes, add the tomatoes and chili pepper and fry 5 minutes more. Stuff the eggplant with this mixture. Put the eggplants in an oven dish and fill the dish half with water. Put in the oven and bake 45 minutes at 175 degrees Celsius. Sprinkle with oregano.

"Imam bayildi" means "the imam was very excited" probably by the taste of this dish.

This is a Turkish recipe. On 27 December 537, the Haga Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey was completed. The words Haga Sofia mean "Holy Wisdom" and the building was first an Orthodox Patriarchic Basilica, later mosque, and now museum. Click on culinary calendar for more links between cooking and worldwide history.