Roasted Eggplant with Yogurt Sauce
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Main or Side Dish
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Serves: 4-6 servings
Ingredients
  • For the eggplants:
  • 4 small eggplants (baby Italian, about 10oz. each)
  • 2 medium onions, chopped
  • 6-8 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • ½ cups olive oil (some more for drizling)
  • --- sea salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 TBSP. dried Greek oregano
  • 4 med. ripe tomatoes
  • 2 TBSP. tomato paste
  • ½ cup flat-leaf parsley, minced
  • ¼ cup plain breadcrumbs
  • ½ cup Pecorino or Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1 cup hot water
  • For the Yogurt-garlic sauce:
  • ½ cup Greek yogurt
  • ½ cup buttermilk
  • 2 TBSP. extra virgin olive oil, plus some more for drizzling
  • 1 small garlic clove, crushed and minced
  • --- pinch of salt
  • Garnishes:
  • ---- pomegrante seeds
  • ---- fresh thyme leaves
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
  2. Cut the eggplants in half, lengthwise. Use a sharp knife and a spoon and remove the flesh carefully, leaving behind about ¼” of flesh intact. Chop the flesh into chunks and set aside. Chop the onions and mince the garlic.
  3. In a large saucepan, and over medium heat, pour the olive oil, add the chopped onion and sautée for about 4 minutes. Add the eggplant chunks and cook, stirring often, until soft and lightly brown. Add the garlic and cook for a few more minutes. Season generously with salt, pepper and oregano. Add the tomatoes, the tomato paste and the parsley (you can also use canned whole tomatoes with their juices). Cook over low heat for about 10-15 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
  4. Place the eggplant halves very closely together (so the sides touch) in a well-oiled glass or ceramic pan, cut side up. Sprinkle them with some salt and pepper. Divide the vegetable mixture evenly among them and fill the eggplants. Top with the bread crumbs. Carefully pour the water into the pan—making sure that it is around not over the eggplants—cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake until tender; about 30-40 minutes depending on the size of your eggplants.
  5. Remove from the oven. Uncover the eggplants and sprinkle with the grated cheese, drizzle some more olive oil and return it to the oven for 5-10 more minutes or until the eggplants have softened completely and started to collapse. Check to make sure the cheese is melted and very little liquid is left in the pan.
  6. As the eggplants bake, make the yogurt-garlic sauce by whisking all the ingredients. Taste for seasoning, cover and refridgerate until it is needed.
  7. Remove from the oven and spoon over the eggplants any oil that has collected in the pan. Let it rest for 15 minutes.
  8. To serve, spoon some of the yogurt sauce over the cooled eggplants halves, sprinkle with some pomegranate seeds and garnish with the fresh thyme leaves. Finish with an extra drizzle of your best olive oil.
Notes
You can serve this as a side dish or a main course. If served as a main course, small potato wedges are roasted alongside the eggplant. To do that, cut two medium size potatoes lengthwise into sections, season with salt and pepper, drizzle with some olive oil and roast them in the same pan as the eggplants. The potatoes will make this vegetarian dish even more satisfying!
Recipe by Marilena's Kitchen at https://marilenaskitchen.com/roasted-eggplant-with-yogurt-sauce/