🍆 Imam bayildi
Imam bayildi is a whole eggplant braised in olive oil and stuffed with onion, garlic, tomato and herbs. The eggplant turns meltingly soft and silky, while the filling is rich, sweet and savoury. It is served cold or at room temperature as a meze or a light main dish.
Diets
Allergens
None of the 14 major allergens in a typical recipe.
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 medium eggplants
- 3 onions, thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, sliced
- 3 ripe tomatoes, chopped
- 80 ml olive oil
- 1 tsp sugar, salt and pepper
- 1 tsp dried mint or a handful of fresh dill
Method
- Peel the eggplants in stripes, slit each lengthwise without cutting through, salt and leave for 20 minutes; rinse and pat dry.
- Fry the eggplants briefly in 2 tbsp of the oil until lightly golden, then set them in a baking dish.
- Soften the onions in the remaining oil for 10 minutes, add the garlic, tomatoes, sugar, salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes; stir in the herbs.
- Open the slits and pack the filling inside. Add 150 ml water to the dish.
- Cover and bake at 180 °C for 40–45 minutes until very soft. Cool and serve at room temperature or cold.
How to make it lighter
- Most calories come from olive oil: 1 tbsp ≈ 120 kcal, so roast the eggplants instead of frying them.
- Cut the oil in the filling to 2–3 tbsp and add a splash more water.
- Serve one eggplant with a large salad as a light main course.
History
The Turkish name means 'the imam fainted'; the story goes that an imam swooned either at the taste of the dish or at how much olive oil it used. It belongs to the Ottoman tradition of zeytinyağlı — vegetables cooked in olive oil and eaten at room temperature.
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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →