Turkish Imam Bayaldi: Juicy Stuffed Eggplant Delight

Once you try it, you will want to cook it again and again. Imam eggplant bayaldi will please even the most discerning gourmets. This dish of Turkish cuisine is simply irresistible. Juicy, hearty eggplants with a delicious vegetable filling contain a minimum of calories.
cook time: 2h 40 min
Miles Denholm
Turkish Imam Bayaldi: Juicy Stuffed Eggplant Delight

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

55
Calories
3g
Fat
6g
Carbs
1g
Protein

Ingredients (4 portions)

Basic:

Eggplant 4 pc
Sea salt to taste

Filling:

Tomatoes 250 g
bell pepper 2 pc
Onion 1 pc
Garlic 2 clove
Hot pepper 0.5 pc
Vegetable oil 3 tbsp
Green cilantro 10 g
Parsley 15 g
Sugar 1 tsp
Sea salt 1 tsp

Sauce:

Tomatoes 250 g

Recipe instructions

Step 1

Step 1
How to make imam bayaldy from eggplants? To begin, prepare the necessary ingredients according to the list. Please note that the exact amount of ingredients depends on the size of the eggplants you choose. My eggplants are medium, not very long. If you have some filling left over after stuffing, you can add it to the sauce. Turn the oven on 180 degrees.

Step 2

Step 2
Wash the eggplants. Make a deep longitudinal cut in each eggplant, but do not cut all the way through the vegetables. Place the eggplants in clean salted water and leave for 20-30 minutes. Then rinse the vegetables and dry. Please note that in some cases there is no need to remove bitterness from eggplants — usually young vegetables, as well as some special varieties, are not bitter.

Step 3

Step 3
Place the eggplants on a baking sheet lined with parchment or foil, with the cuts facing up, and place in an oven preheated to 180℃ for 40-45 minutes.

Step 4

Step 4
Peel the bell pepper from seeds and stems and cut into small cubes.

Step 5

Step 5
Remove the skin from the tomatoes and cut the pulp into small cubes. If you wish, you can remove the core with seeds. How to quickly peel tomatoes? To do this, you need to make shallow cuts crosswise on them and lower them into boiling water for 1-2 minutes. After this, the skin will come off quite easily.

Step 6

Step 6
Cut the onion into small cubes.

Step 7

Step 7
Wash the cilantro and parsley, dry and finely chop.

Step 8

Step 8
Finely chop the garlic or pass it through a press.

Step 9

Step 9
Remove the seeds from the chili pepper to reduce the heat and cut into slices. If you wish, you can omit the chili pepper altogether. Chili peppers come in red and green varieties, with green peppers being hotter.

Step 10

Step 10
Heat some vegetable oil in a frying pan, add onion and garlic. Stir-fry for about 1 minute. Be careful not to burn the garlic. How to choose the ideal frying pan and oil for frying, read articles on these topics. Links at the end of the recipe.

Step 11

Step 11
Add the remaining vegetable oil, bell pepper and stir. Fry for about 5 minutes.

Step 12

Step 12
Add crushed tomatoes and sugar. Simmer, stirring, until excess moisture evaporates.

Step 13

Step 13
At the end, add chopped herbs and salt and stir. Remove the pan from the heat.

Step 14

Step 14
Spread the edges of the eggplants where the cut is made to create a depression. Fill the eggplants with the filling.

Step 15

Step 15
Place chopped canned tomatoes into the pan. Place stuffed eggplants on top of the sauce. Place chili pepper rings on top of the filling. Bake eggplants at 180℃ for about 35-40 minutes. Read about how to choose a baking dish, select the baking time and temperature in separate articles, links at the end of the recipe. The recipe is for 4 eggplants, but I have a small pan, so I baked the eggplants in two batches, 2 pieces at a time.

Step 16

Step 16
Serve the imam bayaldy with tomato sauce. Bon appetit!

Additional rubrics

Related recipes