Imam Bayildi

İmam Bayıldı is a Turkish zeytinyağlı dish of aubergines filled with onion, garlic and tomato and braised generously in olive oil. This profile follows a traditional Western Turkish version in which onion leads the stuffing.

Slow-cooked aubergine becomes deeply savoury and absorbs the fruity olive oil. Sweet softened onion and tomato balance the garlic, while parsley and a small amount of sugar keep the filling fresh and rounded.

Each aubergine remains whole but opens along the top around a soft red-and-gold filling. The flesh is silky and yielding, with a glossy olive-oil sheen, and the dish is served cooled to room temperature.