Roasted Eggplant with Tahini, Szhug, and Pomegranates
I’ve really been on a middle eastern kick lately food-wise. Many of the dishes are vegetable-heavy, and laden with lots of fresh parsley and mint, so they feel fresh and bright. This my feel-good food.
Tahini is always on heavy rotation in my kitchen, but I decided to switch it up and add a new flavour with szhug. Pronounced “shoog”, this zingy sauce is another middle eastern staple. A mixture of herbs, chilis, garlic, and olive oil, that is super-versatile and would go great with everything from meat and fish to eggs. If you are not a fan of eggplant with flavour combo would work well with sweet potato or butternut squash too.
Pomegranates and pine nuts and a crunchy pop that round out the dish. To save yourself a whole bunch of time and mess try this trick for deseeding pomegranates: cut the pomegranate in half crosswise and hold the pomegranate cut side down in your palm over a large bowl. With your other hand whack the pomegranate firmly with a wooden spoon and the pomegranate seeds will fall out into the bowl below- ta-dah!
This dish is hearty enough for a main course, but could also be served alongside other mezze like hummus, pita, and falafel for a full-out mid-east feast.
Roasted Eggplant with Tahini, Szhug, and Pomegranates
serves 4
2 medium to large eggplants
olive oil
salt and pepper
For the szhug:
1 1/2 cups of cilantro, roughly chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeds and ribs removed, diced
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp water
1/4 tsp cumin
3/8 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp pepper
For the tahini-yogurt sauce:
4 tbsp tahini
4 tbsp greek yogurt
4 tbsp water
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp salt
For topping:
pine nuts, lightly toasted
pomegranate seeds
chopped parsley
Preheat oven to 450 F. Line a baking sheet with foil and slice both eggplants in half lengthwise. Drizzle cut sides of eggplant with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place cut side down on foil-lined baking sheet and roast until very tender, 25-30 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the szhug and tahini-yogurt sauce. For the szhug, place all ingredients in a blender and whirl until it forms a smooth sauce. For the tahini-yogurt sauce, whisk together all ingredients until it forms a smooth sauce the consistency of honey.
Remove the eggplant from the baking sheet when done cooking and drizzle with tahini-yogurt sauce, szhug, and top with pomegranate seeds, toasted pine nuts, and chopped parsley.