Consciously using olive oil
Imam Bayildi lives on olive oil. It should be aromatic, but do not drown the eggplant in grease.
For Imam Bayildi, eggplant is prepared, stuffed with a sweet-spicy tomato-onion filling and gently cooked. It tastes particularly round and lukewarm and goes well with bread, rice or yoghurt.
Why this recipe works
Imam Bayildi does not need a heavy sauce. The flavour comes from soft braised onions, garlic, ripe tomatoes, olive oil and a little acidity. If the eggplant is salted and cooked well, the flesh becomes creamy instead of spongy.
Recipe
Imam Bayildi is a Turkish eggplant dish with lots of olive oil, onions, garlic and tomatoes. The eggplants are stuffed and slowly stewed until soft.
Slash the eggplant lengthwise, season with salt and leave to stand for 20 minutes. Pat dry and brush with olive oil all around.
Pre-cook the aubergines in a pan or oven until soft and easy to open.
Fry the onions in olive oil until soft. Add garlic, paprika, tomato paste, tomatoes, sugar, salt and pepper and boil for 10 minutes.
Open the eggplant, put in the filling and place in a pan with a little water or tomato juice. Cook at 180 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.
Finish with lemon juice and parsley. Imam Bayildi tastes lukewarm and particularly aromatic.
Kitchen know-how
Imam Bayildi lives on olive oil. It should be aromatic, but do not drown the eggplant in grease.
The filling will be better if onions and tomatoes are braised until soft instead of being heated briefly.
The dish tastes more rounded after a little rest time, because the eggplant and filling are then better combined.
Variations
Values are estimates and may vary depending on the ingredients, brands, portion size and preparation method used.
Frequently asked questions
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