What is Imam bayildi?

A Turkish dish of stuffed aubergines. The name roughly translates as 'the imam (priest) fainted'. According to legend, a certain imam was so moved by the fragrant smell of the dish that he fainted from sheer joy!

The stuffing is made with a mixture of aubergine pulp, onions and tomato, which is piled into the halved aubergine, roasted and basted occasionally with oil until meltingly soft. The key is to cook the dish enough so the ingredients remain distinct but are not reduced to mush.