Anti Inflammatory Imam Bayildi (Turkish Stuffed Eggplant)
This classic Turkish dish is a showstopper that happens to be built almost entirely from ingredients celebrated for their inflammation-fighting properties. Eggplant, extra virgin olive oil, tomatoes, onion, garlic, and a warm trio of cumin, coriander, and turmeric come together in a deeply savory, braised filling that smells incredible and tastes even better. The technique is straightforward — roast, stuff, braise — and the result is silky, tender eggplant with a rich, spiced tomato filling that practically melts into the flesh. A touch of honey balances the acidity of the tomatoes, while fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon brighten everything up at the end. Olive oil does a lot of the heavy lifting here, both in flavor and in the kind of healthy fats that make this style of Mediterranean cooking so compelling for anyone focused on eating well. It serves four and is just as good at room temperature as it is warm, making it a genuinely flexible option for weeknight dinners or make-ahead meals. This is the kind of plant-forward cooking that never feels like a compromise.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the eggplant
- 4 medium italian eggplants (about 6–7 oz each)
- 1 tsp kosher salt, for salting eggplant
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, for brushing eggplant
For the filling
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, for the filling
- 2 medium yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes, with juices
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp kosher salt, for the filling
- ¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- 1 tsp honey
Ingredient noteAdded sugar is limited on an anti-inflammatory diet. This recipe contains about 1.8 g of added sugar per serving, which is likely acceptable for many following the diet. If you prefer to always avoid honey, please tap it and change its rating to Red.
For braising
- ½ cup water
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling over dish
For serving
- 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped (optional)
- lemon wedges, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Halve the eggplants lengthwise, leaving the stem intact if possible. Using a sharp knife, score the cut surface of each half in a crosshatch pattern, cutting about 3/4 inch deep but not through the skin. Sprinkle the cut surfaces with 1 tsp kosher salt and set cut-side down on a clean kitchen towel or paper towels for 15 minutes to draw out moisture.
- 2
Pat the eggplant halves dry. Brush the cut surfaces generously with 3 tbsp olive oil. Arrange cut-side down in a 9x13-inch baking dish and roast for 20 minutes, until the flesh is beginning to soften and the skin is slightly wrinkled.
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