Ïmam Bayıldı (Eggplant with Onion and Tomatoes)

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 1½ hours
Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 medium eggplants
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 4 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped 
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
• ¼ cup  fresh dill, chopped
• ¼ cup  fresh basil, chopped
• ½ cup  olive oil
• ¼ cup  water
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Direction:

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. 
2. Wash each eggplant, cut off tops, and slice in half lengthwise. 
3. Arrange halves in a medium-sized roasting pan, flesh side up. 
4. In a large bowl, combine salt with onion, tomatoes, garlic, parsley, dill, and basil. 
5. Stir in 2 tablespoons of oil. 
6. Spoon mixture over eggplant halves, piling as much on top of them as possible. 
7. Combine remaining olive oil with water and sugar in same bowl. Pour over eggplant halves. 
8. Bake in oven for 1½ hours, pressing tomato mixture into eggplant flesh once or twice as eggplant halves bake. 
9. Eggplant is ready when it is very soft. 
10. Remove from oven and transfer eggplant halves to a serving dish. 
11. Pour oil mixture from bottom of pan over eggplant halves. 
12. Serve with lemon slices.