Imam Bayildi
- Nikki Glekas
- Aug 27
- 2 min read
This is a classic stuffed eggplant recipe you'll find all over Greece. Like many classic Greek dishes, Imam Bayildi starts in the garden with fresh tomatoes, eggplant, garlic, and onions. These vegetables blend together to form the flavors this stuffed eggplant is known for. Then it is topped with grated cheese and finished off in the oven.
I love this dish because it reminds me of eggplant parmesan without all the frying. This is the fresh summer version of it in many ways. The recipe takes time to come together because everything is prepared from scratch and eggplant needs time to soften in the oven before it is stuffed, so make sure you budget enough time before you begin.
I like to serve this as a main dish with a big salad on the side. It also works well as a side dish if you have a big protein main course or are having a party. Imam Bayildi is a great summery eggplant dish for a casual evening or a fun dinner party. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
Imam Bayildi with Graviera Cheese
Ingredients (Serves 4)
4 medium Italian eggplants
Kosher salt
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 large onions, thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 can crushed tomatoes)
1 tbsp tomato paste
Salt & black pepper, to taste
Fresh parsley, chopped
Splash of water
1 to 1 1/2 cups Graviera cheese, freshly grated
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Peel the eggplant into stripes and slit lengthwise.
Place the eggplant in a dish and sprinkle generously with kosher salt and Olive Oil on a baking sheet, flip skin side up an bake in the over for 20 min. Once baked flip and smash down the middle of the eggplants to make space for the filling.
Make the Filling
Sauté onions in olive oil over medium-low until very soft and caramelized.
Add garlic and cook briefly.
Add tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, pepper
Simmer until thick and jammy. Add splash of water to continue cooking
Stir in parsley
Stuff & Assemble
Place eggplants in a baking dish and fill each one with onion-tomato mixture. Spoon extra sauce around and over the eggplants
Drizzle lightly with olive oil.
Grate cheese over each eggplant
Bake for 25-30 minutes.
Nikki Glekas is the owner of Nikki Glekas Events, a full-service catering and events company located in Stamford, CT.. To discuss further please contact team@nikkiglekascollective.com or call 203.658.8659.
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