İmam Bayıldı
Eggplant stuffed with caramelized onions, garlic, and tomatoes in a silky tomato sauce. A classic Turkish vegetarian dish that's elegant yet simple to make at home.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 385
- Protein
- 5g
Ingredients
- 2 whole eggplants, medium
- 2 medium onions, yellow
- 3 whole garlic cloves
- 1 can (14 oz) canned crushed tomatoes
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 to taste salt and pepper
Instructions
- 1
Set the oven to 400°F and wait until the indicator light or beep tells you it has finished heating, about 10 minutes.
- 2
Place each eggplant lengthwise on a cutting board and slice straight down the middle along the length to split it in half, creating two long halves.
- 3
Using a small spoon, gently scoop out the flesh from the center of each eggplant half, leaving a 1/2-inch-thick shell, like hollowing out a canoe.
- 4
Chop the scooped eggplant flesh into 1/4-inch pieces, until they look like small grains of rice mixed with larger bits.
- 5
Place each onion on a cutting board, then slice straight down through the root and tip into lengthwise halves; place each half cut-side down and slice crosswise into thin half-moons.
- 6
Mince the garlic cloves until the pieces are smaller than a grain of rice, about the size of pencil-tip dots.
- 7
Pour 0.25 cup of olive oil into a large skillet and place it over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers and slides quickly when you tilt the pan, about 90 seconds.
- 8
Add the chopped eggplant pieces to the hot oil and stir once every 30 seconds for 5 minutes until they turn light golden and soften.
- 9
Add the sliced onions to the eggplant and stir once every 30 seconds for 6 minutes until the onions turn translucent and caramelize to a light honey color.
- 10
Add the minced garlic and stir for 30 seconds until the pan smells strongly fragrant.
- 11
Pour in the crushed tomatoes, 1/4 cup water, and a pinch of salt and pepper; stir to combine.
- 12
Place the eggplant halves skin-side down in a baking dish large enough to hold them in a single layer with a little room around each piece.
- 13
Spoon the onion-tomato mixture evenly into the hollow center of each eggplant half, mounding it in the middle so it stays on top.
- 14
Pour the remaining 0.25 cup olive oil and any remaining sauce around the eggplants on the bottom of the baking dish.
- 15
Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes until the eggplant shells are very soft when pierced with a fork and the filling is bubbling gently.
- 16
Remove the baking dish from the oven and let it rest for 2 minutes, then serve warm or at room temperature with the sauce from the bottom of the dish drizzled over each half.
Tools you’ll need
- chef's knife
- cutting board
- small spoon
- large skillet (12-inch)
- wooden spoon
- baking dish (9x13-inch or larger)
- spoon for serving
- oven
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