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Zataar Roasted Eggplant with fresh tomatoes, tahini or yogurt sauce and cooked grain. A healthy vegan gluten-free meal.

Zaatar Roasted Eggplant

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 24 reviews
  • Author: Sylvia Fountaine
  • Prep Time: 15
  • Cook Time: 1 hour
  • Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Yield: 2
  • Category: Main - Vegan and Gluten free
  • Method: Roasted
  • Cuisine: Middle Eastern

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

Units
  • 1 globe eggplant ( about 11 1/8 lb)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon zataar spice mix- or see notes (or use store-bought zaatar!)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt, more to taste
  • 1 fat garlic clove

Served with:

  • 2 cups cooked rice or grains ( freekeh, farro, quinoa)
  • 12 cups fresh chopped veggies- tomato, cucumber, radish, grated carrot or beets
  • your choice of tahini sauce, plain yogurt, or tzatziki
  • other options- Italian parsley, kalamata olives, aleppo chili flakes, feta or goat cheese crumbles


Instructions

Preheat oven to 400F

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 each side with ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt, sprinkling it into the slices if possible.

Mix oil, spices, garlic together in a bowl to make a paste. Brush or spoon the entire contents over the eggplant and place on a sheet pan in the oven and bake for 1 hour 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.

In the meantime, cook the grain and chop or prep any other veggies.

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- or you could simply season the fresh veggies and rice with salt, lemon and olive oil. Add olives or cheese if you wish. Sprinkle with fresh Italian parsley. Enjoy!


Notes

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.

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