Ratatouille vs İmam Bayıldı (Stuffed Eggplant in Olive Oil)

Both dishes lean on eggplant, tomato, onion, peppers, garlic and olive oil, but they put them to very different use. Ratatouille sautés the vegetables, zucchini included, then simmers them covered with tomato paste, thyme and bay until everything turns tender and melds into a herb-scented stew. İmam Bayıldı instead fries salted eggplant halves until golden, stuffs them with a soft, slightly sweet filling of gently caramelized onion, tomato, pepper and parsley, then bakes them. Ratatouille is served warm or at room temperature, while İmam Bayıldı is enjoyed chilled or at room temperature, with lemon on the side.