Recipes › Aubergine › Turkish Aubergine and Tomato Bake (İmam Bayıldı)
Turkish Aubergine and Tomato Bake (İmam Bayıldı)
Whole aubergines are split and stuffed with a sweet, slow-cooked mixture of onions, tomatoes, and garlic, then baked in olive oil until completely tender and collapsing. This is the classic Turkish dish whose name translates as 'the imam fainted' — allegedly from the sheer quantity of olive oil used. Serve warm or at room temperature with crusty bread and a dollop of yoghurt.
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Ingredients
- 4 Aubergines, stalks trimmed, halved lengthways
- 100 ml Olive oil
- 3 Onions, halved and thinly sliced
- 5 Garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 500 g Ripe tomatoes, roughly choppedor 400g tinned chopped tomatoes
- 1 tsp Caster sugar
- 20 g Flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- 2 tsp Fine sea salt
- 1 tsp Black pepper, freshly ground
- 150 ml Water
- 150 Plain yoghurt (optional)use dairy-free yoghurt to keep vegan
Contains: milk, cereals gluten.
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C fan (200°C conventional). Score the cut face of each aubergine half in a deep cross-hatch pattern, cutting down to within 1cm of the skin. Brush the cut surfaces generously with 40ml of the olive oil, season with 1 tsp salt, and place cut-side down on a baking tray. Roast for 25 minutes until the flesh is beginning to soften.About 25 min
- Meanwhile, warm the remaining 60ml olive oil in a wide frying pan over a medium-low heat. Add the sliced onions with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes until completely soft and beginning to turn golden at the edges.About 15 min
- Add the sliced garlic to the onions and cook for 2 minutes, then add the tomatoes, sugar, remaining 1 tsp salt, and the black pepper. Cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have broken down into a thick, jammy sauce. Remove from the heat and stir in most of the parsley, reserving a little for serving.About 12 min
- Remove the aubergines from the oven and carefully turn them cut-side up. Use a spoon to press down the soft flesh slightly, creating a boat shape. Spoon the tomato and onion filling generously onto each aubergine half, packing it in well.
- Pour the 150ml of water into the bottom of the baking dish (not over the aubergines). Cover the dish tightly with foil and return to the oven for 35 minutes. Remove the foil for the final 5 minutes to allow the tops to colour slightly.About 40 min
- Leave the aubergines to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving — they are excellent warm but arguably even better at room temperature. Scatter with the reserved parsley and serve with yoghurt alongside if you like.About 10 min
Tips
- Don't skimp on the olive oil — it is fundamental to this dish, not a luxury. The aubergines drink it up and become luxuriously silky.
- This dish keeps brilliantly in the fridge for up to three days. The flavours genuinely improve overnight, making it an ideal make-ahead centrepiece.
- If your aubergines are large and very firm, add 10 minutes to the initial roasting time before adding the filling.
Ring the changes
- Add 30g of toasted pine nuts and a handful of raisins to the filling for a slightly sweeter, more textured result.
- Stir a teaspoon of ground cinnamon and half a teaspoon of allspice into the tomato filling for a deeper, more aromatic version.
Keeping it
Cool completely, cover, and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Serve at room temperature or reheat gently in a low oven (160°C) covered with foil for 15 minutes. Not suitable for freezing as the aubergine texture suffers.
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