Turkish cuisine · Vegetable Dishes

İmam Bayıldı

Eggplant braised in olive oil with a tomato-onion filling.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 4 eggplants
• 3 onions
• 3 tomatoes
• 4 cloves garlic
• 150 ml olive oil
• 1 tsp sugar

Instructions

1. Wash the eggplants, peel in stripes, soak in salt water for 10 min and pat dry well.
2. Cut the onions into fine half-rings, chop the garlic, dice the tomatoes.
3. Fry the eggplants in olive oil over medium heat for 8 min all over until golden brown and soft; remove.
4. In the same oil, gently simmer the onions with a pinch of salt for 8–10 min until sweetly soft; add garlic and tomatoes and simmer 5 more min; season with sugar, salt and pepper.
5. Slit the eggplants lengthwise, press slightly apart and generously stuff with the onion-tomato filling.
6. Place in a baking dish, drizzle with the remaining olive oil and a little water and braise covered at gentle heat for 30 min.
7. Let cool to lukewarm – that's how the aroma develops best – and serve with the juices.