İmam Bayıldı: The Eggplant That Made the Imam Faint
The name means "the imam fainted." Legend says he fainted from the sheer pleasure of eating it. Eggplant braised in olive oil with sweet onion, tomato, and garlic until it collapses into something that tastes like it took much longer than it did.
This is an olive oil dish in the way that French cuisine has butter dishes. The eggplant absorbs the oil and it becomes part of the flavour. Recipes that reduce the oil to "make it healthier" produce a pale, bitter imitation. Use a full ½ cup. This is not the place to be conservative.
🛒 Ingredients
- 4Medium eggplants (aubergines)
- 120 mlExtra virgin olive oil
- 3Onions, halved and thin-sliced
- 6 clovesGarlic, thin-sliced
- 4Ripe tomatoes, diced
- 1 tbspTomato paste
- 1 tspSugar
- 1 tspSalt
- ½ tspBlack pepper
- 1 bunchFlat-leaf parsley
- 150 mlWater or vegetable stock
🛠️ Method
Salt the Eggplant
Cut a deep lengthwise slit in each eggplant — from top to bottom, stopping 2cm from each end, cutting about ¾ of the way through so the eggplant opens like a book but stays in one piece. Salt generously inside the cut and set them aside on paper towels for 20–30 minutes. This draws out moisture and bitterness. Rinse and pat completely dry before cooking. Wet eggplant steams instead of frying — you want it to sear.
Fry the Eggplant
Heat half the olive oil in a wide pan over medium-high heat. Fry the eggplants on all sides until golden-brown and beginning to soften, about 3–4 minutes per side. You're not cooking them through yet — just building colour and beginning to break down the flesh. Remove and place in a wide baking dish or deep pan, slit-side up, pressing each one open gently.
Build the Filling
In the same pan, add the remaining olive oil over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and cook slowly for 12–15 minutes until they're deeply golden and sweet — don't rush this, the onion caramelisation is the flavour foundation. Add the garlic and cook 2 more minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, salt, and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes until the tomatoes break down into a thick, jammy sauce. Taste it — it should be sweet, savoury, and rich.
Fill and Braise
Spoon the filling generously into the slit of each eggplant, pressing it in so it fills the cavity completely. Pour any remaining filling and the water or stock around the eggplants in the pan — this becomes the braising liquid. Cover tightly with a lid or foil and cook over low heat (or in an oven at 170°C) for 40–45 minutes. The eggplants should be completely collapsed, tender, and have absorbed most of the liquid. Uncover for the final 10 minutes to let the sauce reduce and concentrate.
Rest and Serve
Remove from heat and let rest for at least 20 minutes before serving. İmam Bayıldı is traditionally served at room temperature or cool — not hot — which is unusual but correct. The flavours integrate and deepen as it cools. Scatter fresh parsley over the top and serve with crusty bread to mop up the olive oil-enriched juices at the bottom of the pan. That liquid is arguably the best part.
💡 Chef's Notes
Eggplant variety: Long, thin eggplants (Italian or Japanese style) work better than the large globe variety — they cook more evenly and absorb flavour throughout.
Better the next day: This dish improves dramatically after 24 hours in the fridge. Make it a day ahead if you can.
Not vegan? Add cheese: A crumble of feta on top for the last 10 minutes of baking is excellent — not traditional, but very good.
The other story: A less romantic version of the name says the imam fainted when he learned how much olive oil his wife had used. Both stories are plausible.