İmambayıldı is eaten cold and that changes everything. As it cools the olive oil goes dull and the flavour pulls back, so the amount of oil that seems too much while it is hot is in fact the right amount. There is no mince in the filling; plenty of onion, garlic and tomato take its place.
Ingredients
For the aubergines
For the filling
For cooking
Method
-
Prepare the aubergines
Peel them in stripes, leave them in salted water for 30 minutes and dry them.
-
Fry
Turn them in olive oil until browned all over and transfer to kitchen paper.
-
Soften the onions
Cook the onions in olive oil over a low heat for 15 minutes, until glassy and translucent. They should not colour.
-
Finish the filling
Add the garlic, tomato, sugar and salt and cook for 10 minutes. Take off the heat and stir in the parsley.
-
Fill them
Lay the aubergines in a tray, split them down the middle and fill with the mixture.
-
Bake
Pour the hot water and lemon juice in from the side and bake at 180 degrees for 30 minutes.
-
Cool
Leave until it comes to room temperature. A night in the fridge settles the flavour noticeably.
Tips
- Do not rush the onions. Fifteen minutes over a low heat makes them sweet; fried quickly they stay sharp.
- Leave the garlic cloves whole; cooked through they come to the texture of butter and become the signature of the dish.
- Do not serve it hot. İmambayıldı is a cold dish and hot it tastes unfinished.
Nutrition
Values are per serving and approximate.