Tomato Baked Eggplant (Imam Bayildi)

Beginner Cook - Medium Cooking Time - Main Course - Gluten Free - Vegetarian - Vegan Option

If there was ever a dish that conveyed how melt-in-your mouth delicious eggplant can be, it's this one. The tomato can be prepared one of two ways (both listed below) - with tomato sauce, which yields a more intense tomato flavor, or diluted tomato paste, providing a "lighter" sauce. This dish is best served with pasta, rice, or on its own with a thick slice of country style bread.

Time - 1 hour and 30 minutes

• Preparation - 45 minutes
• Baking (350 degrees) - 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 8 small eggplants
• 3 cups extra virgin olive oil
• 3 teaspoons tomato paste plus 3 cups water OR 15 ounces tomato sauce plus 1 cup water
• 2 roughly chopped garlic cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 1.5 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta (omit if opting for a vegan preparation)

Preparation

• Wash and quarter the eggplants lengthwise

• Heat 3 cups of extra virgin olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat
• Cook the eggplants in the oil until a light golden color

• Remove the eggplant and place in a strainer (note - you will likely need to cook the eggplant in 2-3 batches, in order to avoid overcrowding the pan)
• Optional - let the cooked eggplant rest in a strainer 6-8 hours. This will allow them to release some of the oil absorbed during cooking
• Place the cooked eggplant in the bottom of a baking dish
• Heat the oven to 350 degrees

• In a bowl, stir together the tomato paste/sauce, water, salt, chopped garlic, and bay leaves
• Pour over the cooked eggplant

• Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes
• Remove from the oven and sprinkle the crumbled feta on top
• Place the dish back in the 350 degree oven and bake for another 15 minutes

• Serve hot or at room temperature​