Lebanese Style Eggplant Salad
This mouth-watering Lebanese eggplant salad is better known as Salateet Batenjal and frequently seen in many restaurant Meza's. It can be served hot or cold, It's crazy easy to make and I literally, can't get enough of it.The Pomegranate Molasses is an optional ingredient that is sometimes used to drizzle on the top. For ages, I had no idea what the stuff was. Restaurants use it a lot, and to me, it just completes the dish to the T and gives it that extra zing. After researching it I found out it was made using only fresh pomegranate juice, which is reduced to a thick, dark syrup.... sticky and sour are the best words I can use to describe this Pomegranate wonder.This salad is healthy, vegan, vegetarian, gluten and carb-free and because it's so low in calories too, it's just perfect for any diet!
Ingredients
- 1-2 medium eggplants
- 2-3 medium fresh tomatoes diced small
- 1 small chopped red onion or green, spring onion
- 1 Asian cucumber or 1 cup of pickled gherkins
- 1-2 garlic cloves crushed or grated
- 1 cup chopped fresh mint or parsley sometimes I use a bit of both
- 1 lemon juiced
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt to taste
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp red chilli flakes or ground black pepper
- Pomegranate Molasses for drizzling over
Instructions
- Start by washing the aubergines and then oven-bake (whole) for about 45 minutes.
- While the aubergine is baking you can start preparing the rest of your ingredients, chop the herbs, wash, peel and finely chop or grate the onion, cucumber and tomatoes, grate the garlic and add the remaining ingredients into a bowl and give it a good mix.
- Check on the aubergine, when you see the juice starting to come out, it’s done. Take care to make sure the skin is almost charred and that it is soft when you poke it with a knife.
- When cooled, slice off the tops, cut the aubergines in half, remove the skin and drain if needed.
- Dice the aubergine into small cubes and then add it to your prepared mix. (you can pre-cook it beforehand but smother it in some lemon juice so that it doesn’t darken).
- When you have added all of the ingredients and mixed it well, you can either serve it as it is or you can mash it slightly like I did, this way you can use it as a spread too.
- Drizzle with some olive oil or pomegranate molasses just before serving and garnish with some more fresh herbs.
- Serve with some warm flatbread