Ingredients:

6 long type eggplants
3-4 onions, cut in half and sliced
2-3 tomatoes, peeled and cut small
1 bunch parsley, finely chopped
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
1 t sugar
Salt
Olive oil
Juice of ½ lemon

Cut strips of skin off eggplants, leaving them striped, and fry in hot oil. Cut onions in half lengthwise, then into slices, and fry in 2-3 T olive oil. Add the garlic and cook for a minute, then add the tomatoes and cook another minute or two. Scoop out the centers of the eggplants and fill with the above mixture, the place in a broad pan in which they will fit without too much extra room. Mix 1 cup of hot water with sugar, salt and lemon, and pour over eggplants, cover and cook on medium heat till eggplants are tender. Allow to cool, garnish with minced parsley. Serve with a squeeze of lemon.

*Translator’s note: Stories abound about the origin of this dish’s name. One has it that an Imam’s wife made this dish and it was so delicious that he fainted from his ecstasy. In another version, it is the expense of the ingredients that cause him to lose consciousness. As there is little cheaper in Turkey than eggplants and tomatoes in season, this is rather unlikely! At the risk of ruining a good story, here’s another explanation: In Turkish, to “faint for something” (bir şeye bayılmak) means “to love it.” So the bet translation is probably “The imam loved it,” similar to “Hünkar Beğendi” above.

Turkish Cuisine