Imam Bayildi ‘The Priest Wept’ (Turkish Stuffed Eggplant)
User Reviews
3.8
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Prep Time
20 mins
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Cook Time
1 hr
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Total Time
1 hr 20 mins
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Servings
4 servings
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Calories
335 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Turkish
Imam Bayildi ‘The Priest Wept’ (Turkish Stuffed Eggplant)
Description
Imam Bayildi ‘The Priest Wept’ consists of halved eggplants hollowed slightly to accommodate a filling of slow-sauteed onion and garlic seasoned with allspice and cardamom. Fresh tomatoes and a blend of chopped parsley, mint, and dill add brightness and herbaceous flavor. The eggplants are prepared with partial peeling to create a striped effect, aiding absorption of flavors during baking. Seasoned with lemon juice, salt, and pepper, they are baked until tender. Traditionally, the dish is garnished with feta cheese and chopped pistachios for added texture and richness.
The flavor is a balance of fragrant spices and fresh herbs with the soft, roasted eggplant. The texture is tender with a moist, savory filling. This dish can be served warm or at room temperature, suitable as a vegetarian entrée or side, often accompanied by bread or rice.
Ground beef or lamb can be added to the filling by browning the meat before cooking the onions, providing a meatier variation of the dish.
Ingredients
- 2 medium eggplant
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 large onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- pinch allspice
- pinch cardamom
- 2 large tomato
- 1/4 cup parsley finely chopped
- 1/4 cup mint finely chopped
- 2 tbsp dill finely chopped
- lemon juice from
- salt
- black pepper
- feta cheese for garnish
- pistachios chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F
- Halve the onion and finely slice it. Mince the garlic.
- Heat about 1/4 cup of the oil in a pan and saute the onions and garlic for about 20 minutes, on medium low, until they are soft. Add in the allspice and cardamom.
- Meanwhile halve the eggplants lengthwise and cut a small section off the rounded bottoms so they will sit in the baking dish securely. Using a vegetable peeler, peel a few strips of the peel off to make a striped effect. This will allow the juices and flavors to penetrate into the eggplant better. Finally, make a slit down the center of the flesh, being careful not to cut all the way through. Lay them out in a rectangle baking dish.
- Using a grapefruit spoon or melon baller, cut away a small amount of the flesh to make room for the filling. This step is optional, you can also just pile the filling right on top. Season the eggplant with salt, pepper, and the juice of half the lemon.
- Chop the tomatoes and add to a bowl along with the fresh herbs, juice of 1/2 the lemon, salt and pepper.
- Mix the onions with the tomatoes, making sure everything is evenly combined.
- Top each eggplant half with a mound of filling. Put any extra filling as well as 1/4 cup of water in the pan around the eggplant.
- Drizzle the eggplant with the remaining oil.
- Bake covered with foil for 1 hour, uncovering half way through.
- Serve with bread to sop up the juices. This is traditionally a meze, or Mediterranean small plate.
Notes
- For a meatier variation, brown ground beef or lamb before sautéing the onions and garlic.
- The partial peeling of the eggplants allows flavors to penetrate while maintaining structure during baking.
- Seasoning with lemon juice brightens the dish and balances the spices.
- Feta and chopped pistachios add texture and richness when garnished.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 335 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 335kcal | 17% |
| Carbohydrates | 22g | 7% |
| Protein | 4g | 8% |
| Fat | 28g | 43% |
| Saturated Fat | 4g | 20% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 3g | 18% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 20g | 100% |
| Sodium | 15mg | 1% |
| Potassium | 845mg | 18% |
| Fiber | 9g | 36% |
| Sugar | 12g | 24% |
| Vitamin A | 1263IU | 25% |
| Vitamin C | 27mg | 30% |
| Calcium | 56mg | 6% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
3.8
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