Name: Turkish Imam Bayildi Recipe
Prep time: 50 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 90 min
Ingredients: 4 small to medium-sized eggplants, (the smaller ones work best!); 1 cup extra virgin olive oil; 3 large onions, (thinly sliced); 4-5 garlic cloves, (thinly sliced); 1 red bell pepper, (seeded and finely chopped); 2 cups canned crushed tomatoes; 1½ tablespoons tomato paste; 2-3 teaspoons salt, (to taste); Freshly ground black pepper to taste; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper, (optional for spice lovers); 1 teaspoon sugar; fresh parsley, (finely chopped (to finish))

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Prep Time 50

Total Time 1 30

Servings 4 Main Dishes

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Imam Biladyi (Imam Bayildi) is a classic vegan Middle Eastern eggplant recipe made by braising eggplants and filling them with a mixture of olive oil, tomato, garlic, and onion. This Ottoman dish takes 50 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook, which is a bit longer than most of my recipes. But the extra time is worth it for this melt-in-your-mouth eggplant!

Imam Biladyi on a plate with Italian parsley garnished on top.

What Is Imam Bayildi?

Imam Bayildi is a slow-braised eggplant dish filled with garlic, tomato, and onions. The stuffed eggplants are then simmered in olive oil, which gives them a rich flavor. One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it is vegan and gluten-free!

In the Levant region of the Mediterranean, Imam Bayildi is considered an Ottoman recipe. You can find regional variations depending on the region and the local ingredients. This version is Turkish, and it’s also the most popular. (Or maybe that is just me because I loved it so much while I was in Turkey).

In Turkey I Ate Imam Bayildi Every Day

A picture of Ruth Grindeland the owner, recipe developer and content creator at Sinful Kitchen.

I discovered Imam Bayildi while I was backpacking through Turkey. There was an inexpensive cafeteria in Istanbul I ate at daily.

I think it’s because I’m Lebanese, and we call everything stuffed. Seriously. Not an exaggeration. At the time, I didn’t know it was called Imam Bayilidi; I only knew it was the best eggplant dish I had ever had. When I make it at home, I like to pair it with spanakorizo, Greek spinach rice. The two make the perfect Sunday dinner in my house!

Cooked with love!
– Ruth

Key Ingredients (and why they matter)

Eggplant

Eggplant is the base of this recipe, so pick the freshest one! Look for a small to medium-sized eggplant with bright, shiny skin. If the eggplant is larger, it may be overripe and filled with many seeds. You do not want this!

Olive Oil

There are so many olive oils that it can be confusing. When I make this dish, I cook everything in light or virgin olive oil. Both have a higher smoke point and better heat tolerance. But when I finish the dish, I top it with my best extra virgin olive oil because that is the olive oil flavor I will taste. That said, my pickiness about olive oil isn’t a must; it’s a preference. If you only have one kind of olive oil, use that, as there is no need to buy many different kinds.

Parsley

For an authentic flavor, use fresh flat-leaf parsley (maydanoz). It has a slightly stronger flavor and incorporates better than curly leaf. With that said, if you can’t find flat-leaf parsley, it is not a deal breaker; use curly.

Tomatoes

You can use fresh tomatoes, but to keep it easy, I use canned. For extra flavor, try fire-roasted tomatoes. They are my secret ingredient in Colorado green chile, and they add exceptional flavor here!

Ottoman Turkish eggplant being held up to the camera on a gold fork.

How to Make Imam Bayildi

Step One: Prepare the Eggplant

Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise, including the stem. Score the flesh deeply in a criss-cross pattern, stopping short of the skin. Sprinkle generously with salt (about ½ teaspoon per eggplant half) and let sit for 20 minutes. The eggplant’s moisture will bead on top of each piece. Pat the beads completely dry with a tea towel or paper towel.

A hand holding an eggplant with deep criss-crosses cut into the vegetable.

Step Two: Cook the Eggplant

Heat a wide skillet over medium heat. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil and evenly coat the skillet. If your skillet isn’t large enough to cook all halves at once, work in batches, adding 1–2 tablespoons more olive oil for each batch. (This recipe is all about olive oil!)

Cook the eggplants for 10-15 minutes without moving them during this time. You are done when the eggplant is a deep golden color and tender. Once all the eggplants are fully cooked, transfer them to a baking dish, cut-side up, nestled tightly in the baking dish.

Step Three: Make the sauce

Before starting the sauce, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

Add 2 to 4 tablespoons of olive oil to the same skillet. Add the sliced onions and cook over medium-low heat for 20-25 minutes. Cook until the onions are golden and very soft before moving on to the next step. Add garlic and bell pepper and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for one minute. Then add in the crushed tomatoes, salt, black pepper, oregano, and sugar. If you are adding Aleppo pepper, add it at this step.

Simmer uncovered for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Move to the next step when the sauce is thick, glossy, and jammy. In other words, the sauce should hold its shape when stirred and not be soupy. If it is soupy, keep cooking until it thickens.

A spoon in a cast iron skillet with sautéed onions

A spoon in a cast iron with prepared Imam Bayildi filling.

Step Four: Assemble

Spoon the sauce evenly over the eggplants, gently pressing it into the scored cuts. Drizzle additional olive oil over the top.

Pouring olive oil over assembled Turkish eggplant in a casserole dish before they go into the oven.

Step Five: Bake

Cover the baking dish loosely with foil and bake at 350°F (180°C) for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15-20 minutes, until the eggplants are collapsed, silky, and the sauce clings to the surface. The dish is ready when there is no pooling liquid, the eggplant collapses under a spoon, and the sauce is a deep red.

Placing foil over a casserole dish filled with stuffed eggplants.

Step Six: Finish

Let rest 10–15 minutes before serving. This dish is traditionally served warm or at room temperature. If you can wait, it’s even better the next day!

Ottoman-style Turkish eggplants right out of the oven and being plated up.

How to Serve Imam Bayildi

Traditionally, Turks serve Imam Bayildi as a main dish with Turkish rice. I like to serve it with Lebanese vermicelli rice (Riz bi Sha’riyeh) and Turkish flatbread. You can also serve Imam Bayildi as part of a Mediterranean mezze platter.

Perfect Pairings

Cutting into Imam Biladyi with a knife and a fork.

Frequently Asked Questions

Imam Bayildi is served cold. It is also common to eat at room temperature. Straying from tradition, I like it warmed, but not hot. I feel it brings out the flavor. This is also how I had the dish in Turkey, when I fell in love with it.

Salt! To keep eggplant from becoming bitter, salt it and let it sit for 30 minutes. Then, rinse off the salt and pat it dry. This is critical when cooking eggplant. Most people who make eggplant but don’t like it skip this step.

Yes, you can reduce the oil in this recipe. To maintain the moisture, add vegetable broth.

Yes, because Imam Bayildi is served cold or at room temperature, it’s perfect to make ahead. In fact, the flavor deepens overnight, and it’s richer on day two!

The Imam Bayildi and Karniyarik are close cousins! Karniyarik uses meat and is served warm. Imam Bayildi, on the other hand, is vegetarian and vegan, and it’s served cold.

Storing

Store this recipe in the fridge for up to three days. Because it is a cold dish, you do not need to reheat it. I do not recommend freezing it. The texture will be all wrong, and you will not enjoy it.

Cultural Notes

Many tales surround the name. The most common is that Imam fainted when his wife first served this dish. Another says he fainted when he saw the price of the ingredients (I mean, even typing that makes me laugh).