Imam Bayildi (Olive-Oil Braised Aubergines)
Whole aubergines slowly braised in olive oil with a sweet tangle of onions, garlic and tomatoes — the legendary Ottoman dish so good 'the imam fainted'.
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Ingredients
4 slim aubergines (about 800g total)
120ml extra virgin olive oil (about 1/2 cup)
3 large onions, halved and thinly sliced
6 garlic cloves, sliced
4 ripe tomatoes, 3 chopped and 1 sliced for topping
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 green sivri (long) pepper, sliced
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt, or to taste
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Juice of 1/2 lemon, plus wedges to serve
100ml hot water
Instructions
- 1
Peel the aubergines in zebra stripes, leaving the stalks on, and soak them in well-salted water for 15 minutes to draw out any bitterness. Drain and pat thoroughly dry.
- 2
Heat half the olive oil in a wide pan and brown the whole aubergines on all sides over medium heat, about 8-10 minutes, until softened but still holding their shape. Lift them into a baking dish or wide shallow pan.
- 3
In the same pan, warm the remaining oil and cook the sliced onions with a pinch of salt over low heat for 12-15 minutes until soft, sweet and golden.
- 4
Add the garlic and sivri pepper and cook for 2 minutes, then stir in the tomato paste, chopped tomatoes, sugar, salt and black pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes and fold in most of the parsley.
- 5
Split each aubergine lengthways down the middle without cutting all the way through, and gently open a pocket. Pack the onion filling generously into each one, letting extra spill around them.
- 6
Top with the reserved tomato slices, pour the hot water and lemon juice around the aubergines, cover and cook over the lowest heat (or in a 180C oven) for 30-35 minutes until completely tender.
- 7
Leave to cool in the pan — imam bayildi is traditionally eaten at room temperature. Scatter with the remaining parsley and serve with lemon wedges and crusty bread.
The name means 'the imam fainted', and the old Istanbul story offers two explanations: either the cleric swooned at how delicious the dish was, or at how much precious olive oil his wife had poured into it. Both versions tell you what matters — this is a dish where good olive oil is not garnish but the main event.
Imam bayildi belongs to the great Ottoman family of zeytinyagli (olive-oil) vegetables, cooked gently and always served at room temperature or lightly chilled. That makes it a wonderful make-ahead dish: cook it the day before and the flavours only deepen overnight in the fridge. Serve it as a light summer main with bread to mop up the juices, or as part of a meze spread.
A few tips for success. Choose slim, glossy aubergines and peel them in stripes so they hold their shape while still absorbing the braising juices. Do not rush the onions — they should cook down slow and sweet, almost melting, before the tomatoes go in. And be brave with the olive oil; a proper Turkish extra virgin, the kind Turkish Online Market delivers across the UK, is what gives the dish its silky richness.
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