Imam Bayildi

Name: Imam Bayildi
Cuisine: Turkish
Ingredients: 4 small eggplants; 2 tbsp salt; 9 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 2 large onions; 4 large garlic cloves; 1 long red pepper; 1 long green pepper; 3 large tomatoes; 1 tsp pul biber (Aleppo pepper); 30 g parsley; pilav; short-grain rice; water; toasted orzo

Serves 1

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Imam Bayildi

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Serves 1

Directions

1Trim the bottom ends of each eggplant and peel back the green tops.
2Use a paring knife to make a circular incision around the base of the stem and pull off the green part, revealing the woodier core.
3Peel off alternate long stripes of the eggplants, resembling a zebra pattern.
4Place the eggplants in a large bowl and rub salt all over the exposed flesh.
5Heat some olive oil in a casserole over medium-low heat.
6Peel and finely slice the onions, add them to the casserole with salt and cook until they are soft and translucent.
7Peel and slice the garlic cloves.
8Cut the red and green pepper in half, remove the core and seeds and slice the rest.
9Add the garlic and peppers to the pan and continue cooking until the peppers have softened as well.
10Dice the tomatoes, add them to the pan with the pul biber and cook covered for 5 minutes to let the tomatoes release their juices.
11Trim and discard the lower stems of the parsley and chop the rest.
12Turn off the heat, stir most of the parsley into the filling.
13Strain the filling through a sieve placed over a bowl to catch the juices.
14Fry the eggplants until they are soft.
15Add them to a baking tray.
16Cut the eggplants open like a pocket.
17Fill them with the stuffing.
18Add salt to the leftover juices.
19Pour the juices over the stuffed eggplants.
20Top with tomatoes and roast until lightly charred.
21Cook the pilav by toasting orzo in olive oil.
22Add salt and water to the orzo.
23Serve the pilaf in a dome shape.
24Serve the Imam Bayildi by plating it and adding the juices over.

Ingredients

4 small eggplants
2 tbsp salt
9 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 large onions
4 large garlic cloves
1 long red pepper
1 long green pepper
3 large tomatoes
1 tsp pul biber (Aleppo pepper)
30 g parsley
pilav
short-grain rice
water
toasted orzo

Equipment

knifepeelerbowlcasserolepotpantongsbaking traysievebowlladle

Tips

Imam Bayildi are usually served cold.
You can either fry or roast the eggplants until they're soft.

Imam Bayildi

Serves 1

instagram.com

Imam Bayildi

instagram.com

Serves 1

Directions

1Trim the bottom ends of each eggplant and peel back the green tops.
2Use a paring knife to make a circular incision around the base of the stem and pull off the green part, revealing the woodier core.
3Peel off alternate long stripes of the eggplants, resembling a zebra pattern.
4Place the eggplants in a large bowl and rub salt all over the exposed flesh.
5Heat some olive oil in a casserole over medium-low heat.
6Peel and finely slice the onions, add them to the casserole with salt and cook until they are soft and translucent.
7Peel and slice the garlic cloves.
8Cut the red and green pepper in half, remove the core and seeds and slice the rest.
9Add the garlic and peppers to the pan and continue cooking until the peppers have softened as well.
10Dice the tomatoes, add them to the pan with the pul biber and cook covered for 5 minutes to let the tomatoes release their juices.
11Trim and discard the lower stems of the parsley and chop the rest.
12Turn off the heat, stir most of the parsley into the filling.
13Strain the filling through a sieve placed over a bowl to catch the juices.
14Fry the eggplants until they are soft.
15Add them to a baking tray.
16Cut the eggplants open like a pocket.
17Fill them with the stuffing.
18Add salt to the leftover juices.
19Pour the juices over the stuffed eggplants.
20Top with tomatoes and roast until lightly charred.
21Cook the pilav by toasting orzo in olive oil.
22Add salt and water to the orzo.
23Serve the pilaf in a dome shape.
24Serve the Imam Bayildi by plating it and adding the juices over.