One of the most famous vegetable dishes in Turkish cuisine has one of its most memorable names: İmam Bayıldı.
The dish consists of aubergines filled with slowly cooked onions, tomatoes, garlic and herbs before being baked until wonderfully tender. It's traditionally associated with Turkey's olive-oil-based zeytinyağlı dishes and proves that Turkish cuisine goes far beyond kebabs.
Ingredients
- 4 small aubergines
- 2 large onions, sliced
- 4 garlic cloves
- 4 ripe tomatoes
- 3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra as required
- 1 tsp tomato paste
- Handful of parsley
- ½ tsp sugar
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Lemon juice
How to Make İmam Bayıldı
- Peel alternating strips from the aubergines to create a striped appearance.
- Lightly brush them with olive oil and roast until beginning to soften.
- Meanwhile, slowly cook the onions and garlic in olive oil. Add chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, seasoning and a tiny amount of sugar.
- Make an opening along each aubergine and generously spoon in the tomato and onion mixture.
- Bake at around 190°C for 25–30 minutes, or until beautifully tender.
Hot or Cold?
One of the great things about İmam Bayıldı is that it doesn't have to arrive at the table piping hot. Allowing the dish to rest gives the olive oil, tomato, garlic and aubergine flavours time to come together.
Finish with parsley and a little lemon, and serve with bread, rice or other meze.
