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Imam bayaldi Turkish eggplant

Turkish İmam Bayıldı (Stuffed Eggplant)

A classic Turkish eggplant dish! İmam bayıldı is great for dinner, lunch, even breakfast. It's wonderful on its own or as a side to meat. As striking as it looks, it's really not hard to make!

Maria

Recipe author

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Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Eggplants

Salt

Sunflower oil

Tomatoes (large, or 2 small)

Onion

Garlic

Parsley (2 sprigs)

Mint (1 sprig)

Olive oil

Lemon juice

Sugar

Nutmeg (a pinch)

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 4 % 1 g

Fats 58 % 14 g

Carbohydrates 38 % 9 g

162 kcal

GI: 67 / 0 / 33

Cooking method

Step 1:

How do you make İmam bayıldı? Measure out all the ingredients. Choose firm, blemish-free eggplants of the same size — the look and quality of the whole dish depend on them.
Step 2:

Wash the eggplants and peel off a few thin lengthwise strips of skin here and there. Make a deep lengthwise slit in each one, taking care not to cut through the walls. Salt the eggplants inside and out and let them sit for 30 minutes.
Step 3:

Prep the filling ingredients. Wash the tomatoes. Peel and wash the onion. Pat the vegetables dry. Wash the herbs, shake them off, and dry them too.
Step 4:

Cut the onion into thin strips. Dice the tomatoes and drain off the juice, keeping just the flesh. If you like, you can seed the tomatoes, and even peel them by dipping them in hot water for a few minutes.
Step 5:

Finely chop the garlic, parsley, and mint with a knife.
Step 6:

Heat the sunflower oil in a skillet and fry the eggplants on all sides until golden.
Step 7:

In a separate skillet, heat the olive oil, add the onion and sugar, and cook until the onion caramelizes to a golden color.
Step 8:

Add the tomatoes, garlic, nutmeg, lemon juice, and salt to the onion. Stir and cook together for 5 minutes. If there's a lot of liquid left, drain it off.
Step 9:

Stir the chopped herbs into the filling. Mix well and take it off the heat.
Step 10:

Gently spread the edges of the slit in each eggplant apart to make a pocket.
Step 11:

Fill the eggplants with the filling. Transfer them carefully to a prepared baking dish. Pour a little water into the bottom of the dish and warm in a preheated oven for about 10 minutes. The dish is done! İmam bayıldı is served hot or warm.

İmam bayıldı is a bit like Greek-style eggplant, but richer, since it's fried in plenty of oil. Another way to make it: slice the eggplant into rounds, fry them in oil, arrange on a baking sheet, top with the filling, and bake.
Keep in mind that every oven is different. Your temperature and cooking time may vary from what's listed here.
To keep your eyes from stinging when you cut onions, rinse the onion and knife in cold water. And rubbing the cutting board with a slice of lemon before chopping keeps it from absorbing the onion smell.
Easy way to peel tomatoes: wash them, score a shallow X on top with a sharp knife, dip them in boiling water for 1–2 minutes, then remove, cool slightly, and slip off the skins.