Zaalouk
Creamy Moroccan spread/salad made with eggplant, tomatoes, herbs and warm spices.
Servings 4 people
Ingredients
- 1 eggplant large
- 3 tomatoes roma or vine
- 1/4 cup parsley minced
- 1/4 cup cilantro minced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp salt or more to taste
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Prep the eggplant; Poke 2-3 small slits in the eggplant to prevent it from popping and to assist with cooking. Preheat the grill to 450 F - 500 F degrees. Once hot put your eggplants on and close the lid. Turn every 10 minutes to prevent scorching. Depending on how hot your grill is this should take roughly 20-30 minutes. If opting to roast, preheat the oven to 425°. Rotate every 10 minutes. In both scenarios the eggplant is done when it is soft and can be pierced with a fork or knife with ease. When the eggplant is done and cooled cut off the stems, peel back and discard the skin. Cut into cubes and place on the side.
- While the eggplant is cooking blanch and prep the tomatoes; score the bottom of the tomatoes with a small X, just enough to pierce the skin. In a medium pot of boiling water cook the tomatoes for 2-3 minutes. Immediately throw in a bowl of ice cold water. Once cooled to the touch peel back the skin. Dice, with seeds and all. If chosing canned tomatoes skip the blanching and just dice.
- In a medium sauce pan over low to medium heat add olive oil. Once oil has heated up bloom the spices (cumin and paprika for 2-3 minutes until fragrant).
- Add garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add chopped tomatoes, eggplant, parsley, and cilantro mix to combine. Add 1 tsp of salt. Stew for 15-20 minutes breaking up large chunks as the eggplant and tomatoes further cook. The consistency is up to you, I leave some small chunks.
- Once stewed together remove from the heat and allow to come to room temperature. Enjoy with pita or a crust loaf of bread. Enjoy!