Wait for eggplants to be in season to try this delicious Turkish dish. The olive oil, onions, tomatoes and garlic are the perfect complement to the “meaty” eggplant. Soak up the delicious juices with pita bread or rice.

Imam bayildi

Serves 6. Prep time, 10 mins, plus 1 hour soaking time. Cook 1 hour

Salt

6 small eggplants

120ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to taste

3 large white onions, halved and thinly sliced

6 ripe tomatoes, peeled, julienne cut and juice reserved

6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

4 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, plus more for garnish

30g toasted pine nuts (optional)

Fill the kitchen sink or a large bowl with well-salted water. Cut a small slit in each eggplant, remove the stems (if desired), transfer them to the salt-water bath and soak for 1 hour. Drain, squeeze gently and pat dry.

Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a wide, ovenproof frying pan or a cast-iron casserole dish with a lid over a medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5–10 minutes or until golden.

Add the eggplants, tomatoes and garlic, reduce the heat to medium–low (adjust as needed), cover and cook, stirring onions once or twice without disturbing the eggplants, for 10 minutes.

Turn the eggplants and cook for 10 minutes.

Modern Australian Vegan (Dorling Kindersley, $39.99) Photograph: Dorling Kindersley

Preheat the oven to 190C.

Remove the pan from the heat and gently stuff some onion–tomato mixture into each eggplant. Pour the reserved tomato juice over the eggplants, sprinkle with flat-leaf parsley, cover tightly with a lid or foil, and bake for 35–40 minutes.

Remove from the oven and cool slightly before garnishing with toasted pine nuts (if using) and serving.