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Turkish · Dinner

Turkish tomato-stuffed eggplant (İmam bayıldı)

Silky whole eggplants split and filled with sweet onions, garlic, tomato, green pepper, parsley, and olive oil, then braised until spoon-tender.

About 2 hrTotal
About 1 hr 30 minActive
$Cost
ModerateDifficulty
Makes 4 servings
Turkish İmam bayıldı with whole banded eggplants filled with concentrated onion, tomato, garlic, and pepper in olive-oil juices.

Equipment

  • Use a similarly sized oven-safe dish; a larger footprint makes a shallower, faster bake.

Ingredients

1× recipe · Makes 4 servings

  • 4 small Italian eggplants, about 8 ounces each
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
  • 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
  • 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1 mild green pepper, thinly sliced
  • 4 ripe plum tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, divided
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup water
  • Steamed rice and plain yogurt, for serving

Instructions

  1. Peel four lengthwise strips from each eggplant, leaving alternating skin bands. Cut a deep lengthwise slit without cutting through, salt the exposed flesh with 1 teaspoon salt, and drain 30 minutes; blot completely dry.

  2. Heat oven to 425°F. Brush eggplants with 2 tablespoons oil and roast slit-side up 25 minutes until they begin to collapse. Reduce oven to 375°F.

  3. Meanwhile cook onions in remaining oil over medium-low heat 20 minutes until soft and golden. Add garlic and pepper for 3 minutes, then tomatoes, sugar, black pepper, and remaining salt; cook until thick, 8 minutes. Fold in half the parsley and lemon juice.

  4. Open the eggplant slits gently and mound in the onion-tomato filling. Arrange snugly in a , pour water around—not over—the eggplants, cover, and bake 25 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 minutes until glossy and completely tender.

  5. Cool at least 15 minutes and finish with remaining parsley. Serve warm or at room temperature with rice and yogurt, spooning the olive-oil tomato juices over the eggplant.

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