Name: Eggplants Imam Bayeldi, Stuffed with Onions, Peppers, Cheese, and Nuts
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Turkish
Ingredients: 2 to 3 fresh parsley sprigs (optional); 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 cup (100 g) coarsely grated graviera or good quality pecorino (aged cheddar works well, too); 1 cup (80 g) walnuts, coarsely ground; 1 large beefsteak tomato, cut into 8 slices; 1½ cups (360 ml) Basic Tomato Sauce; 1 to 3 teaspoons Maraş pepper or a good pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, to taste; 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped garlic; 3 green or red bell peppers, halved, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch (0.6-cm) strips; 4 eggplants (1½ to 2 pounds/680 g to 1 kg total); 3 medium onions (about ⅔ pound/300 g total), halved and thinly sliced; Salt; ¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Mediterranean Vegetarian Feasts

By Aglaia Kremezi

Published 2014

About

My version of the famous Turkish Imam Bayeldi (literally “the Imam fainted”) is based on my mother’s recipe. I have enriched the stuffing of onions, garlic, and peppers by adding walnuts and cheese, and I top with tomato sauce just before baking. These additions and the extra sauce, as well as the tomato slices I place under the eggplants, are my take on the classic dish.