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–+ servings

İmam bayıldı (Turkish Stuffed Eggplants)

5 from 2 votes
İmam bayıldı is as rich in flavor as it is steeped in culture, and it just happens to be plant-based. This Turkish classic, meaning "the imam fainted," combines tender eggplants with a savory filling of tomatoes, onions, garlic and peppers, all slow-cooked to perfection. The story behind its name is as captivating as the dish itself — legend has it the imam fainted from sheer delight after tasting it!
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Prep Time1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Servings4

Ingredients 
 

  • 4 small eggplants (1.25kg)
  • 2 tbsp salt (27g)
  • 9 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (plus extra for drizzling)
  • 2 large onions (400g)
  • 4 large garlic cloves
  • 1 long red pepper
  • 1 long green pepper
  • 3 large tomatoes (450g)
  • 1 tsp pul biber (Aleppo pepper)
  • 30 g parsley
  • pilav (to serve)

Instructions 

  1. Trim the bottom ends of each eggplant and peel back the green tops. Then use a paring knife to make a circular incision around the base of the stem and pull off the green part, revealing the woodier core. Now peel off alternate long stripes of the eggplants, resembling a zebra pattern. Place the eggplants in a large bowl and rub 1 tablespoon (14g) of salt all over the exposed flesh. Set aside until needed.
  2. Meanwhile, make the filling. Heat 4 tablespoons of the olive oil in a casserole over medium-low heat. Peel and finely slice the onions, add them to the casserole with 1 1/2 teaspoons (10g) of salt and cook until they are soft and translucent (8-10 minutes). Peel and slice the garlic cloves. Cut the red and green pepper in half, remove the core and seeds and slice the rest. Add the garlic and peppers to the pan and continue cooking for 10 minutes more until the peppers have softened as well.
  3. Dice 2 1/2 of the tomatoes, add them to the pan with the pul biber and cook covered for 5 minutes to let the tomatoes release their juices. Trim and discard the lower stems of the parsley and chop the rest. Turn off the heat, stir most of the parsley into the filling (refrigerate the rest until later), then strain the filling through a sieve placed over a bowl to catch the juices.
  4. Pre-heat the oven to 220 °C (428 °F) (200 °C (392 °F)) and pat dry the eggplants with some kitchen paper. Heat 5 tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and fry the eggplants (careful, they will splash as they release moisture), turning them every 2-3 minutes, until they have softened and look golden on the peeled spots (8-12 minutes total).
  5. Transfer the fried eggplants to a walled baking dish and make a lengthwise incision, ideally along a peeled strip, just 2cm deep and leaving around 2cm at the top and bottom. Then use two spoons to open it like a pocket and stuff them evenly with the filling. You can serve any leftover filling as a side later on.
  6. Add 1/2 teaspoon (3g) of salt to the leftover cooking juices and drizzle the mixture over and around the eggplants. If needed, top it up with enough water to cover the bottom of the dish with 1-2cm of liquid. Quarter the remaining tomato half lengthwise and place a piece on top of each filled eggplant. Drizzle a little more extra virgin olive oil all over.
  7. Roast for 30 minutes until lightly charred. Let it cool to room temperature, divide over plates, drizzle with some cooking liquid from the baking dish and serve with a drizzle of olive oil and the reserved parsley. Pairs well with some freshly cooked pilav.