Briam
Μπριάμ
Potatoes, courgettes, aubergine, peppers and onion baked slowly in fresh tomato, garlic and plenty of olive oil until soft and browned at the edges.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: Μπριάμ.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 1 hr 45 min
- Rest
- 20 min
- Total
- 2 hr 30 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spice
- No chilli
- Cost
- Weeknight budget$8–16 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Briam is the Greek tray of baked summer vegetables. Potatoes, courgettes, aubergine, peppers and red onion are cut into chunks, tossed with grated fresh tomato, garlic, oregano, parsley, salt and a lot of olive oil, and baked slowly until the vegetables are soft, the juices have reduced to a thick sauce and the edges have browned. It belongs to the family Greeks call ladera, dishes cooked in oil, and the oil is not optional: it carries the flavour and makes the vegetables silky. Cut the potatoes a little smaller than everything else so they finish at the same time.
What you'll need
13 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.
Ingredients
- Potato, waxy, peeled, in 2 cm chunks600 g
- Courgettes, in 3 cm chunks500 g
- Eggplant, aubergine, in 3 cm chunks1 medium
- Bell pepper, one red, one green bell pepper, in strips2 medium
- Red onion, in wedges2 medium
- Tomato, ripe; two grated, two sliced4 medium
- Garlic, sliced4 clove
- Olive oil150 ml
- Oregano, dried9.9 ml
- Parsley, chopped, half for the tray, half to finish1 bunch
- Water100 ml
- Salt9.9 ml
- Black pepper4.9 ml
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Heat the oven to 190°C. Cut the potatoes into 2 cm chunks, the courgettes and aubergine into 3 cm chunks, the peppers into strips and the red onions into wedges. The potatoes are smaller so everything cooks in the same time.
15 min
Step 2
Halve two of the tomatoes and grate the cut sides on a box grater, throwing away the skins. Mix the pulp with the garlic, oregano, half the parsley, the salt, pepper and olive oil.
5 min
Step 3
Toss all the vegetables with the tomato mixture in a large roasting tray and spread them in an even layer. Lay the sliced tomatoes on top and pour the water down the side of the tray.
5 min
Step 4
Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.
45 min190°C
Step 5
Uncover, turn the vegetables gently once, and bake another 45 to 60 minutes until the potatoes are soft, the liquid has reduced to a thick, oily sauce and the edges are browned.
55 min190°C
Tip: If it is still watery when the vegetables are done, turn the oven up to 220°C for the last 10 minutes.
Step 6
Rest for 20 minutes, scatter over the rest of the parsley, and serve warm or at room temperature with bread and feta.
20 min
Nutrition
Per serving · estimate
- Calories
- 412 kcal
- Protein
- 7.1 g
- Carbs
- 39.4 g
- Fat
- 26.2 g
- Saturated fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 7.9 g
- Sugar
- 9.8 g
- Sodium
- 732 mg
Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.
Allergens
Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.
- No major allergens flagged in the structured ingredients.
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
- Dairy-free
- Gluten-free
- Nut-free
Adapt this recipe
The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 12 November.
Substitutions
Fresh tomatoes → A 400 g tin of chopped tomatoes
Fine out of season. The sauce is a little sweeter and less fresh.
Tips
- Do not crowd the tray. If the vegetables are piled more than two layers deep, they steam and never brown; use two trays.
- It keeps four days in the fridge and tastes best at room temperature, not straight from the cold.
History & culture
It is a summer dish, made when the garden is full and the market is cheap, and eaten as a main course with feta and bread, warm or at room temperature. It is better the next day. Like other ladera, it is a meatless meal for fasting days, and it sits in every taverna's lunchtime display of trays.
The name is usually traced to the Ottoman Turkish biryan, roasted, from the same Persian root as biryani; in parts of Greece the dish is called tourlou, from the Turkish türlü, assorted. Potatoes, tomatoes and peppers came from the Americas, so the dish as it stands probably dates from the 19th century, once they had become garden staples around the Aegean.
Traditional — Some cooks salt and drain the aubergine first; modern aubergines are rarely bitter and the step is skipped here. Island cooks add a little dill or mint, and some add carrot or okra.
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.
How long does Briam take?
2 hr 30 min all in — 25 min prep, 1 hr 45 min cook, 20 min rest. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 6 people. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Easy.
How spicy is it?
No chilli.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Vegan, Vegetarian, Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Nut-free.
What does it cost to cook?
Weeknight budget — about $8–16 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
5 more questionsFewer questions
What equipment do I need?
Chef's knife, Cutting board, Baking tray, Oven.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at 2 tsp.
What can I use instead?
Fresh tomatoes → A 400 g tin of chopped tomatoes. Fine out of season. The sauce is a little sweeter and less fresh.
Any tips from this recipe?
Do not crowd the tray. If the vegetables are piled more than two layers deep, they steam and never brown; use two trays. It keeps four days in the fridge and tastes best at room temperature, not straight from the cold.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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