Turkish-Inspired Roasted Eggplant Dish
Imam Bayildi is a Turkish eggplant dish baked with tomatoes, garlic, and herbs. Serve it room temperature for a delicious change from Eggplant Parmigiana. This recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo and vegan.
Pair with 2022 Inman Family Pratt Sexton Road Ranch Pinot Noir
Ingredients
- 2 medium eggplants - sliced lengthwise into 1/4 inch pieces and salted
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 3/4 olive oil (more if needed as Eggplants soak up olive oil like a sponge!)
- 2 large cloves crushed garlic
- 1 can crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 tsp crushed red chilli flakes
- 4 Tbsp fresh chopped flat leaf parsley
- 1/2 tsp dried mint
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 dash ground cinnamon
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350F
Cut the eggplant lengthwise in the long 1/4 thick strips and sprinkle with sea salt. Set aside on paper towels to soak up extra water.
Add a thin layer of olive oil to a cast iron or Le Creuset type pan. Fry the eggplant for two minutes on each side until golden. Add more oil as needed. Do not let the eggplant burn. Set browed pieces aside.
Add more oil and then sauté the onions. When soft, add the tomatoes 2 Tbsp of parsley, mint, salt, chili flakes and a dash (or two) of cinnamon. Simmer and reduce for about 5 minutes.
In the skillet, just like a lasagna, layer the sauce then eggplant then sauce. Cover with foil and then bake for 45 minutes. Drizzle olive oil and lemon juice and garnish with the remaining parsley. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. then slice like a pie and serve warm or at room temperature.
This recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo and vegan.