Imam Bayıldı Recipe
Imam bayıldı is a classic Ottoman dish. If you're looking for a vegetarian or vegan stuffed aubergine recipe, this recipe is not going to disappoint.
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Servings 4
Ingredients
- 4 medium aubergines (eggplants) ((eggplants))
- 2 large onions (peeled, halved & sliced into half moons)
- 2 large tomatoes (or 1x400 gram tin tomatoes)
- 1 red pepper (deseeded & cut into thin strips approximately 1 inch long)
- 1 green pointed pepper (deseeded & cut into thin strips (optional))
- 1 green chilli (finely chopped (optional))
- 4 cloves garlic (peeled & thinly sliced)
- 1 teaspoon tomato paste (or red pepper paste)
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- salt & pepper (to season)
- 1 handful parsley (finely chopped, to garnish)
- 1 lemon (juiced, to garnish)
- 3 tablespoons sunflower oil (for frying aubergines)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (for cooking your filling)
Instructions
- Use a vegetable peeler to peel stripes down your aubergines.
- Now take a sharp knife and make a cut from the top to the bottom of each aubergine without piercing through to the other side.
- Gently heat your sunflower oil in a frying pan and add the aubergines.
- Turn them occasionally with tongs so that they brown and soften on all sides. Be careful as they will spit and sizzle in the hot oil.
- Once your aubergines have softened after about 15 minutes, remove them from the pan and place on a baking tray with the side where you made the cut facing upwards.
- Leave to one side to cool.
- In the same pan, add your olive oil and gently heat.
- Add your sliced onions and peppers and sauté until the onions start to soften and turn translucent.
- Now add your chopped tomatoes, garlic, paprika, salt and pepper and mix together.
- Add a splash of water - about 50 millilitres - stir and leave to simmer for 5-10 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
- Meanwhile return to your aubergines and carefully prise them open along the cut so that you have four canoe shapes.
- Now add your filling to each aubergine with a teaspoon - don't worry if some tumbles over the edge. It's all part of the meal.
- Dissolve your tomato paste (salça) into approx 150 millilitres of water and pour it over your aubergines and into the tray.
- Now place on the middle shelf of your oven and cook for 15-20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and leave until your imam bayıldı is warm or at room temperature.
- Squeeze fresh lemon juice and sprinkle a little finely chopped parsley over the top of your imam bayıldı before serving.
- Serve on its own or with accompaniments.
Notes
- Our recipe for imam bayıldı contains peppers. Some recipes use onions and tomatoes only. We use one red carmen pepper and one green 'sivri biber.'
- You can use as much or as little garlic as you like.
- Imam bayıldı is suitable for both vegetarians and vegans.
- As with all of our recipes, the calories in our imam bayıldı recipe are approximate. There are approximately 360 calories per aubergine serving, taking into account the oil used for frying.
Nutrition
Serving: 1Calories: 360kcal
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