The fall and winter seasons come with the desire for more hearty, warm dishes. This vegan recipe embraces the bounty of the recent harvest season using simple, affordable ingredients.
Imam Bayildi is a Turkish dish that I fell hard for when I visited Istanbul. It is basically roasted or fried eggplants that are stuffed with a plant-based filling. This is an incredibly easy yet tasty vegan recipe to make. You can even freeze it for future use!
Make This Also: Learn how to make this very satisfying vegan Shepherd’s pie
The dried currants are the magic ingredient here as they add depth and sweetness to a vegetable that is usually served in a very savoury manner. But you can use dark raisins in a pinch. The pine nuts, though expensive, are used in a small quantity and can be replaced by sunflower seeds.
Add some crusty bread and a green salad with a tangy vinaigrette and you’ve got a lovely fall time meal. Here’s how to make it:
Imam Bayildi (Roasted Eggplant)
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 2 large Italian eggplants, sliced in half lengthwise, stems attached
- ¼ cup olive oil + extra for brushing the eggplants
- 1 cup tomatoes, chopped
- ½ cup red onion, diced
- ¼ cup fresh mint, chopped
- 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp good quality balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp currants
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- 1 tbsp + ¼ tsp salt
- Black pepper
How to make it:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cut 2-3 slits into eggplant lengthwise and crosswise, being careful not to cut through the other side. Brush the cut sides with olive oil and fry in a large frying pan, cut side down for 6-8 minutes until soft and edges start to shrivel. Remove from heat and place eggplants cut side up in a roasting pan. Sprinkle surfaces lightly with salt.
- In a medium bowl, mix chopped tomatoes, red onion, mint, garlic, balsamic, ¼ cup olive oil, currants and pine nuts. Season with salt & pepper. Taste and add more balsamic vinegar or salt if needed – the mixture should be slightly sweet.
- Divide the mixture between eggplants, pressing well into the cuts.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes.
- Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Wine Pairing
Pair this dish with an Argentine malbec or a syrah from Paso Robles, both of which echo the rich, warm flavours of this dish.
