There are several versions of the story behind the name of this dish, Imam Bayildi. Although the stories differ to some extent, they all have the same ending – the Imam faints because it is so delicious.  

We can easily say that this recipe is an homage to the eggplant season where simplicity meets delicacy. In parts of Anatolia where olives and olive oil are accepted as gold, braising vegetables in olive oil is a typical technique called “zeytinyagli”. At Neolokal, we celebrate the eggplant season in July and August. Imam Bayıldı is a perfect vegan option where the eggplant is first cooked with olive oil, tomato, onion, and garlic. We then Bake bread with the juice of this dish and serve the creamy textured eggplant with it, complemented by some dried eggplant nori and eggplant dust. 

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