Eggplants are in the regular rotation for weeknight meals throughout the Mediterranean. Even though their true garden season is very short, we can easily find eggplants at the market year ’round. Their rich, smoky flavor and meaty texture make them a great, plant-based alternative to meat for those days you want to eat something substantial and a satisfyingly meat-less meal. Interestingly, eggplants are often referred to as the “poor man’s meat”.
There are many ways to cook with eggplants. You can slice them in rounds and grill them (or broil them) and then top them with an herb salad, or, with fresh ricotta and roasted cherry tomatoes. You can also roll the same grilled slices around a savory filling. You can mash them to make a deliciously smoky baba ghanoush. You can also layer them with other vegetables to make a vegetarian gratin or pasta-free lasagna, with mozzarella and tomato sauce. Eggplants also make great condiments like chutneys and, of course, they are the star ingredient for Sicilian caponata and French ratatouille provençale .
For this recipe, I have combined a traditional Greek stuffed eggplant recipe (originally Turkish), called imam-bayldi, with a refreshing yogurt-garlic sauce as a topping, which I adapted from Ottolenghi’s book, “Plenty”. The combination was so delicious that I made it twice in the past week so I could photograph it and share it with you! Pomegranate seeds are optional, but they give the dish a festive appearance and a pleasant, sweet flavor that goes so well with the tangy yogurt-garlic sauce. As is the case with most vegetable dishes, this one tastes even better the next day. It can be served warm or at room temperature with a simple green salad and some crusty bread.
- 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
- Preheat the oven to 350° F.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- As the eggplants bake, make the yogurt-garlic sauce by whisking all the ingredients. Taste for seasoning, cover and refridgerate until it is needed.
- Remove from the oven and spoon over the eggplants any oil that has collected in the pan. Let it rest for 15 minutes.
- 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.
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