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Imam Bayildi
Stuffed eggplant with onions and tomatoes - so delicious the imam fainted.
Imam bayildi - literally "the imam fainted" - has one of the most evocative names in culinary history. Legend says an imam (Islamic priest) fainted with pleasure upon tasting this dish. Others say he fainted when he saw how much expensive olive oil it required. Either way, this eggplant dish is worth swooning over.
Baby eggplants are slit open and stuffed with a sweet, slow-cooked mixture of onions, tomatoes, garlic, and parsley, then baked until the eggplant is silky soft and the filling has caramelized. The key is patience - the onions must cook low and slow until they become almost jammy, their natural sugars concentrating.
Traditionally served at room temperature, imam bayildi is a celebration of summer produce and good olive oil. We serve it as a meze or as a main course with crusty bread and yogurt. It's also better the next day, after the flavors have had time to deepen and meld.
Baby eggplants are slit open and stuffed with a sweet, slow-cooked mixture of onions, tomatoes, garlic, and parsley, then baked until the eggplant is silky soft and the filling has caramelized. The key is patience - the onions must cook low and slow until they become almost jammy, their natural sugars concentrating.
Traditionally served at room temperature, imam bayildi is a celebration of summer produce and good olive oil. We serve it as a meze or as a main course with crusty bread and yogurt. It's also better the next day, after the flavors have had time to deepen and meld.
Prep: 45 mins
Cook: 1.5 hours
Serves: 6
Medium
Ingredients
6 small eggplants (or 3 medium)
4 large onions, thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic, minced
400g ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 cup olive oil (divided)
1/2 bunch parsley, chopped
1 tsp sugar
Salt and pepper
1 cup hot water
4 large onions, thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic, minced
400g ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 cup olive oil (divided)
1/2 bunch parsley, chopped
1 tsp sugar
Salt and pepper
1 cup hot water
Instructions
1. Cut eggplants in half lengthwise. Score the flesh in a crosshatch pattern without cutting through skin. Salt generously and let drain for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat 1/2 cup olive oil in a pan. Add onions and cook over very low heat for 30-40 minutes until sweet and jammy. Add garlic in last 5 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes, parsley, sugar, salt, and pepper. Cook 10 more minutes.
4. Rinse and dry eggplants. Arrange in a baking dish cut-side up.
5. Spoon the onion-tomato mixture generously into each eggplant half.
6. Drizzle remaining olive oil over. Add hot water to the dish.
7. Cover and bake at 180C for 1 hour. Uncover and bake 20 more minutes until eggplants are very soft.
8. Cool to room temperature before serving.
2. Meanwhile, heat 1/2 cup olive oil in a pan. Add onions and cook over very low heat for 30-40 minutes until sweet and jammy. Add garlic in last 5 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes, parsley, sugar, salt, and pepper. Cook 10 more minutes.
4. Rinse and dry eggplants. Arrange in a baking dish cut-side up.
5. Spoon the onion-tomato mixture generously into each eggplant half.
6. Drizzle remaining olive oil over. Add hot water to the dish.
7. Cover and bake at 180C for 1 hour. Uncover and bake 20 more minutes until eggplants are very soft.
8. Cool to room temperature before serving.
