İmam bayıldı (Turkish Stuffed Eggplants)
Made from meltingly tender roasted eggplants, stuffed with a spicy tomato sauce and lashings of olive oil, İmam bayıldı or ‘the Imam fainted’ is one of the most famous of all Turkish dishes. Did the Imam faint because the olive oil was so expensive? Or because this dish was so tasty? Try it and see for yourself!
Nutrition Facts
Ingredients
Instructions
PREPARE: Heat the oven to 200°C / 400°F / Gas mark 6. Use a vegetable peeler or small, sharp knife to peel the eggplants in wide strips (like a zebra!).
ROAST THE EGGPLANTS: Poke plenty of holes into the eggplants with a fork, then brush generously with the oil. Place on a rack set over an oven tray and roast in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, until tender.
MAKE THE STUFFING: While the eggplants are roasting, heat the olive oil and butter in a frying pan. Gently cook the onion and pepper for 5 minutes until beginning to soften. Add the tomatoes and garlic to the pan and cook for 5 minutes, using a wooden spoon to break up the tomatoes gently.
FLAVOUR THE SAUCE: Add the passata, oregano, sugar, pul biber and half the parsley to the pan, season generously with salt and pepper and cook for a further 5-10 minutes until reduced and thickened.
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Continue Reading at Daysofjay →Chef's Notes
Try to seek out long, thin, Middle Eastern style eggplants if possible. Otherwise choose smaller eggplants for best results.
Pul biber, sometimes known as Aleppo pepper, is used extensively in Turkish and Cypriot cooking. These pepper flakes have a lightly smoky flavour and a beautiful deep red colour. Try picking them up in a Turkish or Middle Eastern shop, or order online. They vary in heat from mild (Tatli) to very, very hot (çok çok acı), so be careful which ones you buy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do I have to use so much olive oil?
A: I've actually dialled the amount of olive oil in this dish back a little bit from the traditional recipes (I think the imam would probably approve!). The olive oil is an important part of this recipe, however, you can reduce it a little if you'd like.
Q: Can I prepare Imam Bayildi in advance?
A: Yes! This is a fantastic dish to make in advance, in fact, I find it is even tastier the second or third time it is heated through!
Q: Can I freeze Imam Bayildi?
A: Yes, it will keep in the freezer for several months.
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Reviews from the Original Source
I have been in Turkey/Greece/MiddleeastAfrica in many occasions. the best food that i had cooked in Turkey to be honest. Most Greek nationalists are trying to claim Turkish dishes on their name. Such as Yoğurt comes from Sumerian era in Mezepotemia, coffee comes from Yemen(was Ottoman land), baklava, pirzola, kofte, cacik, kokareç, chicken soup and many others tried to named after Greek name inorder to brand for themselves. Butshould have been brand as Style (greek style/moroccon style/thai style/turkish style etc....
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