Today, almost every special occasion dinner in the Arab Middle East includes at least one or two eggplant dishes. For the Arabs, the eggplant is the queen of versatility—it can be an ingredient in appetizers, salads, main dishes and even desserts. By far, the eggplant, which historically was introduced to the western world by the Arabs with their conquest of the Iberian Peninsula and Sicily, is at the top of an Arab’s list of favorite foods. This Saudi Arabian recipe is one of the multitudes of eggplant dishes that can be made from this widely used vegetable. It is a hot and spicy salad with a vinegar-based sauce and is ideal when served with meat based main dishes such as Baked Lamb Kebabs with Aromatic Spices (page 86), Batter-Fried Meatballs (page 81) and Lamb in a Savory Sauce with Pita Bread (page 78). When preparing the eggplant, allow an hour to let the salted eggplant sit. It is important to allow the excess water from the eggplant slices to drain; otherwise, the eggplant will discolor in the course of cooking. A good trick is to allow it to sit salted in a strainer with a heavy weight placed on top a medium saucepan filled with water serves as a good weight.
SERVES: 6
PREP TIME: 25 minutes
RESTING TIME: 1 hour
COOKING TIME: 25 minutes
CHILLING TIME: 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 large firm eggplant (about 2 lbs/1 kg), peeled and cut in half lengthwise
- 11/2 teaspoons salt
- 2/3 cup (160 ml) oil, for frying, plus more if needed
- 4 firm tomatoes, sliced in rounds about 1/4-in (6-mm) thick
- 2 jalapeños or other fresh finger-length
- green chili peppers of your choice, sliced into thin rounds
- 4 tablespoons vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed to a paste
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander leaves (cilantro), for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Slice the eggplant halves into 1/4-inch (6-mm)-thick half-rounds. Place the eggplant in a strainer, sprinkle evenly with 1 teaspoon of the salt and place a heavy weight on top. Let stand for 1 hour.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and fry the eggplant slices until they turn golden brown and become soft and translucent (about 8 to 10 minutes), turning the pieces over once and adding more oil if needed. Drain on paper towels, and then place evenly on a serving platter. Do not discard the cooking oil. 3 In the same skillet, fry the tomato slices over medium heat, 2 minutes on each side, adding more oil if necessary.
- Spread the tomato slices evenly over the eggplant slices. In the same skillet, over medium-low heat, fry the chili pepper for about 5 minutes, or until brown, adding more oil if needed. Spread over the fried tomato slices.
- Combine the vinegar, garlic, pepper, cumin and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of the salt in a small bowl, and then sprinkle evenly over the vegetables. Garnish with the chopped coriander leaves and chill in the refrigerator before serving.
