Imam Bayildi
Updated August 8, 2024
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
- Total Time
- 2 hours 45 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
2 medium or 4 small eggplants, cut in half lengthwise
1 large or 2 medium onions, sliced very thin
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 ½ pounds (3 large or 6 medium) tomatoes, peeled and chopped
¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil (optional)
Salt
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup water
2 ½ teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice (optional)
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
26 grams carbs; 233 calories; 10 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 14 grams fat; 9 grams fiber; 1050 milligrams sodium; 4 grams protein; 16 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment and brush with olive oil. Slit the eggplants down the middle, being careful not to cut through the skin. Place on the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, until the outer skin begins to shrivel. Remove from the oven and transfer, cut side down, to a colander set in the sink. Allow to drain for 30 minutes.
- Step 2
Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat in a large, lidded skillet and add the onions. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are very tender, 5 to 8 minutes, and add the garlic. Cook, stirring, for 30 seconds to a minute, until fragrant. Remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl. Add the tomatoes, herbs, salt to taste and 1 teaspoon of the sugar and 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil.
- Step 3
Turn the eggplants over and place in the pan, cut side up. Season with salt. Fill with the onion and tomato mixture. Mix together the remaining olive oil, the remaining sugar, the water and the lemon juice. Drizzle over and around the eggplants. Cover the pan and place over low heat. Cook gently for 1 to 1 ½ hours, checking the pan for liquid and basting from time to time with the liquid in the pan, and adding water to the pan if it becomes too dry. By the end of cooking the eggplants should be practically flat and the liquid in the pan slightly caramelized. Spoon this juice over the eggplant. Allow to cool in the pan, and serve at room temperature.
Advance preparation: You can roast the eggplant through Step 1 and make the filling through Step 2 several hours before assembling and cooking the imam bayildi. Once cooked, the finished dish can sit for several hours.
Private Notes
Comments
Believe Turkish cooks: when they say 1/2 cup olive oil, Do It. Those who insist health food, should steam Kale (then discard). Cut your Egg plant/s in half lengthways, then do as for Baba Ganoush or Baingan Barta: broil / bake them v. hot 450, until skins are crackly and innards tender: you Don't Need oil for this. In the latter stage of cooking the tomato / onion herbs, scoop out a 1+ cup of the Egg plant innards, add to the filling. Put everything back in the oven on low 200 for 45 min
I recommend using pomegranate molasses instead of the sugar, for a richer depth of flavor.
I grew up in Turkey and this Imam Bayildi recipe is incorrect. The flesh of the eggplant needs to be removed leaving only about a quarter inch attached to the skin of the eggplant. The flesh of the eggplant is cut into small cubes and sauteed in olive oil until soft with the rest of the ingredients.. You now have the two hallowed out halves of the eggplant ready to be stuffed with the rest of the ingredients. In Martha's recipe the ingredients are simply resting on top of the cut half eggplants
I'm confused about the closing comment "By the end of cooking the eggplants should be practically flat...", implying that the 'stuffing' will be more like 'topping' Meanwhile the picture shows robust, round eggplants with some stuffing peeking out. In fact, the versions I've had of this dish have the full eggplant fairly flattened from cooking, with the stuffing showing through a slit. The ingredients seem spot on (I have no quibble about the amount of olive oil) - the outcome seems off.
"Slit the eggplants down the middle, being careful not to cut through the skin..." Eh? How, exactly, do you slit them without cutting through the skin? I think we should be told....
Pretty sure it means slit them through the middle on the cut sides, since you're starting with eggplants already cut in half.
Re. my flippant comment about skin slitting. The aubergines are already cut lengthwise, so the slit is made in the inners. Note to self: engage brain before lurching into print!