Description
Roasted Eggplant with Zaatar- a blend of middle eastern spices – served over rice or whole grains, with fresh veggies and yogurt, tahini sauce and/or tzatziki and a sprinkling of fresh parsley.
Ingredients
- 2 globe eggplant ( about 2-2 1/4 lbs)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoon zataar spice mix- or see notes (or use store-bought zaatar!)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, more to taste
- 2 fat garlic clove, finely minced or grated.
- 3-4 cups cooked rice or grains ( freekeh, farro, quinoa)
- 2 cups fresh chopped veggies- tomatos or cucumbers (or both)
- Sauce: tahini sauce, tahini yogurt or tzatziki
- Garnish: Italian parsley, kalamata olives, aleppo chili flakes, feta or goat cheese crumbles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F
- Eggplant Prep. Slice Eggplant in half, then slice deeply at a diagonal at one-inch intervals -“crosshatching”( see photos above), careful not to cut through skin.
- Season. Season each side with ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt, sprinkling it into the slices if possible. Mix oil, spices, and garlic together in a bowl to make a paste. Brush or spoon the entire contents over the eggplant.
- Bake. Place on a sheet pan in the oven and bake for 45-60 minutes, rotating halfway through. After an hour, pierce with a fork and if they are very tender and juicy, they are done. Bigger eggplants may take longer, smaller ones will take less time, so check.
- Prep sides. While the eggplant bakes, cook the rice, prepare the tahini yogurt sauce, and chop the vegetables.
- Assemble. When the eggplant is done, assemble the plates, topping the warm rice or grain with the roasted eggplant, then surround with fresh veggies and drizzle with tahini sauce, yogurt or tzatziki. Add olives or cheese if you wish. Sprinkle with fresh Italian parsley. Enjoy!
Notes
If you don’t have Zaatar– use a substitution of: ½ teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon coriander, 1 teaspoon sumac (and if you don’t have sumac, sub 1 teaspoon lemon zest -or finely chopped preserved lemon), ½ teaspoon dried oregano or thyme , ½ teaspoon sesame seeds and a pinch salt.
Eggplant: If using smaller eggplant, cross-hatching may not be necessary, and roasting time will shorten significantly – check after 30 minutes, and cook until very fork-tender. If using extra large globe eggplant, cooking time may increase.
This brand of store-bought Zaatar is my favorite.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: Includes: ½ eggplant w/ 1 cup cooked rice, 1 cup tomatoes and 1 tablespoon plain whole fat yogurt
- Calories: 344
- Sugar: 11.8 g
- Sodium: 375.7 mg
- Fat: 16.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 5.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 41 g
- Fiber: 2.4 g
- Protein: 9.5 g
- Cholesterol: 22.1 mg
