Imam Bayıldı

İmam Bayıldı literally means “the imam fainted” — according to legend, either from delight at tasting it, or from shock when he heard how much olive oil had been used. This classic Turkish dish consists of aubergines filled with a gently stewed mixture of onion, tomato and garlic, generously cooked in olive oil. It is traditionally served warm or at room temperature.

Serves: 4
Preparation: 30 minutes
Cooking: 60 minutes
Total time: approx. 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 large aubergines
• Salt
• 150–200 ml good olive oil
• 2 onions
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 3 ripe tomatoes
• 1 green pepper
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Handful of fresh parsley
• A few sprigs of fresh dill
• Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

• Cut the aubergines in half lengthways.
• Score the flesh in a criss-cross pattern (not through the skin) and sprinkle lightly with salt. Leave to drain for 20–30 minutes.
• Peel the onions and slice into thin rings.
• Finely chop the garlic.
• Peel the tomatoes and cut into small dice.
• Cut the pepper into thin strips.
• Finely chop the fresh herbs.

Method

1. Rinse the aubergines and pat dry.
2. Heat a generous layer of olive oil in a wide pan and fry the aubergine halves over a medium-high heat until golden and soft. Remove from the pan and set aside.
3. Add extra olive oil if needed and gently cook the onions over a low heat until translucent (± 10 minutes).
4. Add the garlic and cook briefly.
5. Add the tomato, pepper, sugar, salt and pepper and simmer gently until a juicy, fragrant mixture forms.
6. Stir in the fresh herbs.
7. Return the aubergines to the pan and generously fill them with the onion-tomato mixture.
8. Spoon the remaining olive oil from the pan over the aubergines, cover and cook very gently over a very low heat for a further 30–40 minutes.
9. Let İmam Bayıldı cool until warm or at room temperature. Serve with Turkish bread, rice or bulgur.

This dish often tastes even better the next day.