Turkish Vegan Stuffed Aubergines (Imam fainted) Recipe!

 

Vegan Stuffed Eggplants  (imam bayildi )

Turkish Imam Bayildi (Vegetarian Stuffed Eggplants) Recipe!

Turkish foods are very Mediterranean, you can also find very similar foods in Greece, Cyprus and Armenia. They do beautiful things with vegetables and spicies. Actually, Ottoman and Turkish cuisine must have a million and one wonderful recipes for eggplants, each more delicious than the last. One of the best known (and tastiest and veganiest) is "Imam Bayıldı (literally: the Imam fainted / Muslim Priest fainted)". So we are sharing our favourite vegetarian Turkish recipe "Vegetarian Stuffed Eggplant" with you in this post. We hope you like it. 

Imam Bayildi or Vegan Stuffed Eggplants made from meltingly tender roasted eggplants, stuffed with a spicy tomato sauce and lashings of olive oil, Imam Bayildi or "The Imam Fainted" is one of the most famous of all Turkish dishes.

What is Imam Bayildi!

Imam Bayildi is basicly made from eggplants which are roasted until tender, then split open and stuffed with a spicy tomato mixture. It is often served at room temperature or even cold as part of a mezze (side dish). Unlike the similar dish "Stuffed Eggplant (Karniyarik - split belly) which contains meat, imam bayildi is a completely vegetarian recipe. 

Imam Bayildi (pronounced: ee-mahm-ba-yuhl-duh) means "The Imam (Muslim priest) fainted" in the Turkish language. It is one of the most famous dishes of the Ottoman Empire (in Ottoman Palace Kitchen) and can be found in kitchens and restaurants throughout the Anatolia, Mediterranean and Levant. 

Turkish Imam Bayildi 

The Story of Imam Bayildi!

Actually, There are couple of stories about the origins of imam bayildi in Turkey. All these stories are about how this dish got such an interesting name, though nobody can say for sure which one is true. 

In one story the Turkish imam's new bride (the daughter of an olive oil merchant) cooks him this delicious eggplant dish night after night, until she has used up all the expensive olive oil that she brought with her into the marriage. On learning that there is no more olive oil left, the imam fainted with shock. 

In another, the imam simply fainted in pleasure at the heavenly taste of this dish.

We blatantly disregard the first story, for to us, good eggplant dishes can indeed make you swoon. Actually, in all the stories, the imam falls in love with the delicious flavours of these stuffed Aubergines, and we think that when you try it, you will too.

How to Make Turkish Imam Bayildi (Vegan Stuffed Eggplants)!

As we said above of the post, this popular dish is a fabulous vegetarian meal, made from eggplants, tomatoes, onions, garlic and plenty of olive oil. This classic combination of ingredients produces an incredibly delicious feast, with the slow cooking time making the eggplant meltingly tender. it is simple to make, you can prepare them ahead of time and then cook them when you need them and they are melt in the mouth gorgeous. We like to use good quality ingredients in this recipe as every single mouthful zings flavour. Fresh vegetables are esential and good quality eggplants and tomatoes are ideal and very important for this dish.    

So ingredients are so important and to make this classic Turkish recipe, you will need to following main ingredients:

Eggplants/Augbergines: traditionally this dish would be made with the long, skinny eggplants typically grown in Turkey and middle East. If you can only get the more rounded variety, try to choose some small eggplants for the best results. 

Chopped onions, garlics and tomatoes: use the juicest, ripest tomatoes you can find, we like to add abit tomato paste to bump up the tomatoey flavour. Yellow onion or red onions are ideal for this dish. Also chopped garlic makes your dish better.

Fresh Green peppers (or green chilli peppers): look out for the long, mild type. If you have Turkish or Arabic food groceries near to you, head along and check out their fresh produce.

Choped parsley, Oregano, Black ground pepper and Red pepper flakes: Turkish food makes full use of fresh herbs, so be generous. Also, oregano, black ground pepper and red pepper flakes make your dish delicious. 

Olive oil: The star of the show! As with many recipes from the Turkish and Middle Eastern world, it is important to use a generous amount of olive oil when making this dish.

Frequently asked questions About the Imam Bayildi:

Do i need to salt my eggplants?

Many traditional recipes call for salting or soaking eggplants in salted water to draw out the bitterness (we mostly use this process). But, like many fruit and vegetables grown today, modern varieties of eggplants have had the bitterness bred out of them, making you can safely skip this step. 

Do i have to use so much olive oil?

We have actually dialled the amount of olive oil in this dish back a little bit from the traditional recipes. The olive oil is an important part of this recipe, however, you can reduce it a little if you would like.

Can i freeze imam bayildi?

Yes, it will keep in the freezer for several months. 

Can i prepare imam bayildi in advance?

Yes! This is a fantastic dish to make in advance, in fact, we find it is even tastier the second or third time it is heated through!

Recipe for Turkish Imam Bayildi (Vegan Stuffed Eggplants)!

We always serve imam bayildi with a big bowl of cooling Tzatziki / Cacık (that is a yogurt and  cucumber sauce). You could serve it alongside another Turkish dish like chicken and chickpea pilaf, with Turkish chicken Shish kebabs, meatballs (köfte) or pastries (börek), as a side dish, you could serve a Turkish sepherd slad or a Mediterranean slad. For dessert, we would recommend a big tray of nutty Turkish baklava or sweet Turkish samsa dessert. 

Here it is our yummy Turkish imam bayildi (Vegan stuffed eggplants)'s recipe; 

Serve: 5 servings, Preparation Time: 25-30 minutes, Cooking Time: 40 minutes, Cuisine: Mediterranean / Ottoman Cuisine / Anatolian Cuisine, 

Very good family favourite;

Ingredients: 5 Long & Selender Eggplants 

Ingredients: 3 tablespoons vegetable oil for frying
 or olive oil for roasting in the oven 

Ingredients: For the tomato filling: 3 tablespoons
extra virgin olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter, 

Ingredients : For tomato filling : 3 or 4 Normal size
 onions, finely diced, 

Ingredients: For tomato filling : 4-5 Large cloves
 of garlic, finely diced, 

Ingredients : For tomato filling : 4 Long green
 peppers, finely diced, 

Ingredients : For tomato filling : 4 medium
 tomatoes, roughly choped, 

Ingredients : For tomato filling: 1/2 Teaspoon of salt,
ground black pepper, dried oregano,
 red pepper fkakes and sugar,  

Ingredients : For tomato filling : 1/2 bunch of fresh
parsley, chopped, 

Ingredients : For tomato sauce; 1/2 Tomatoes, grated, 

Ingredients : For tomato sauce; 1 tablespoon
 tomato paste,  

Ingredients: For tomato sauce; 2 tablespoons olive oil, 

Ingredients : For garnishing; 1/2 Tomatoes
 is sliced into 5 thick slices, 

First of all wash your all eggplans well,

Then strips off with a knife in a skin of zebra
pattern without removing the green stems, 

Then fill a large and deep bowl with water and
stir in salt, then soak your eggplants
for about 20-25 mins, 

Then place your eggplants on paper towels to drain, 

Then chop your onions and cloves of garlic
for tomato filling,

And chop your long green peppers and
tomatoes for tomato filling, 

Then heat the olive oil and butter in a frying pan, 

And put the onions in it and gently cook it for a while, 

Then add chopped green peppers and cook them
 for 5 minutes until they beginning to soften, 

Then add the tomatoes and garlic into the pan
and cook for another 5 minutes, 

Lastly add your chopped parsley and stir,

Then add your salt, dried oregano, ground black pepper,
 red pepper fkakes and sugar, and mix through
until all the ingredients are well combined, 

Then heat your vegetable oil in a large fry pan
and add your eggplants.  

Cover a lid and fry gently until your eggplants are softened. 

Then place your fryed eggplants on paper towels
 to drain and set aside 

Then cut a long slit down the length of each eggplant, 

Then start to filling process; stuff with
tomato filling into the eggplants, 

Meanwhile arrange your eggplants in a large oven tray, 

For tomato sauce; put 1/2 cup of water, Tomato paste,
  grated tomatoes, a pinch of salt  and 1/2 tablespoon
 of extra virgin olive oil into the bowl
and mix all of them well, 

Then pour the diluted tomato paste over the eggplants, 

Then preheat your oven to 180 ° C ( 350 ° F ) and
bake it in the oven for about 35-40mins,

Garnish with thick slices of tomato, 

Serve warm or at room temperature, 

Ingredients:

• 5 Long & Selender Eggplants, (If you can only get the more rounded variety, try to choose some small eggplants),
• 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil for frying, (or 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil for roasting in the oven),

For the Tomato Filling:

• 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 
• 1 Tablespoon butter,
• 3 Normal size yellow onions, finely diced, (if you want, you can use red or white onions),
• 4-5 Large cloves of garlic, finely diced,
• 4 Long green peppers, finely diced,
• 4 Medium tomatoes, roughly choped, 
• 1/2 Teaspoon of salt, dried oregano, ground black pepper, red flakes pepper and granulated sugar,  
• 1/2 bunch of fresh parsley, chopped,

For Tomato Sauce:

• 1/2 Tomatoes, grated,
• 1Tablespoon tomato paste,
• 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

For Garnishing:

• 1/2 Tomatoes is sliced into 5 thick slices,

Preparation:

1. First of all, put your all ingredients on the work table. Secondly, wash your all eggplans and strips off with a knife in a skin of zebra pattern without removing the green stems (this process will help your eggplants hold their shapes better), 
2. Then fill a large and deep bowl with water and stir in salt, then add your eggplants in it. Soak your eggplants for about 20-25 minutes while you are preparing your filling (Don't forget to place your soaked eggplants on paper towels to drain). This process helps that removing bitterness of your eggplants. After these processes, your eggplants are ready to fry. 
3. For preparing the tomato filling: Heat the olive oil and butter in a frying pan. Gently cook the onion and pepper for 5 minutes until beginning to soften. Then add the tomatoes and garlic into the pan and cook for another 5 minutes, using a spoon to break up the tomatoes gently. Lastly, add your salt, dried oregano, ground black pepper, red pepper fkakes, sugar and parsley, and mix through until all the ingredients are well combined. 
4. Then heat your vegetable oil in a large fry pan and add your eggplants. Cover with a lid and fry gently until your eggplants are softened (or heat the oven to 200°C / 400°F / Gas 6. Then brush your eggplants generously with the olive oil. Then place on a rack set over an oven tray and roast in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, until tender). Then, place your fryed eggplants on paper towels to drain and set aside. 
5. Then arrange your eggplants in a large oven tray belly side up. Then, cut a long slit down the length of each eggplant and then start to filling process; stuff with tomato filling into the eggplants. 
6. For preparing tomato sauce: Put 1/2 cup of water, a tablespoon of tomato paste, grated tomatoes, a pinch of salt and 1/2 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil into a bowl and mix all of them well. Then pour the diluted tomato paste over the eggplants. Then preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) and bake it in the oven for about 35-40 minutes.
7.  Garnish with thick slices of tomato and serve warm or at room temperature. 

Enjoy!

Turkish Imam Bayildi Recipe 

Please let us know how this "Turkish Imam Bayildi (Vegetarian Stuffed Eggplants) Recipe" turns out for you in the comments. We are always so eager to hear from you.

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