İmam bayıldı


İmam bayıldı is a dish in Ottoman cuisine consisting of whole eggplant stuffed with onion, garlic and tomatoes, and simmered in olive oil. It is a zeytinyağlı dish and is found in most of the former Ottoman regions. The dish is served at room temperature or warm.
Imam bayildi is also well-known under minor variants of the Turkish name in Bulgaria, Israel, North Macedonia, Greece, Albania, Armenia, and the Arab world. A similar dish is popular in Iran, although various other vegetables and herbs may also be added to the filling.

Origin of the name

The name supposedly derives from a tale of a Turkish imam who swooned with pleasure at the flavour when presented with this dish by his wife, although other more humorous accounts suggest that he fainted upon hearing the cost of the ingredients or the amount of oil used to cook the dish.
Another folk-tale relates that an imam married the daughter of an olive oil merchant. Her dowry consisted of twelve jars of the finest olive oil, with which she prepared each evening an eggplant dish with tomatoes and onions. On the thirteenth day, there was no eggplant dish at the table. When informed that there was no more olive oil, the imam fainted.