EyeSwoon's Charred Eggplant with Za'atar & Yogurt Tahini
It was 7 p.m. on Monday night, and as I was finishing up some work, I realized I had no clue what we were having for dinner. That is, until I spotted a large, plump eggplant in the fruit bowl and decided to try this recipe for Charred Eggplant with Za’atar and Yogurt Tahini that I’d flagged in that same Cook Beautiful cookbook I’ve been going on about for the past two weeks. It wasn’t exactly the small Italian eggplants that Athena Calderone suggested I use, but I just cut my big one up into approximately the same size slices she recommends. Luckily I had some za’atar leftover from a birthday gift my friend Gwen had given me…not a spice I might typically have on hand but key to the deliciousness of this dish. The yogurt-tahini sauce adds the perfect cool touch to the flavorful, charred eggplant. I decided to make a side of dal, plus some rice. It was among my most favorite meals of this never-ending quarantine.
Serves 4
Ingredients
For the Eggplant:
3 Italian eggplants (about 1 ¾ pounds/800 g total), quartered lengthwise
⅓ cup (75 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon za’atar, plus more for sprinkling
Salt and freshly cracked pepper
1 lemon, zested and juiced
Yogurt-Tahini Sauce, for serving
1 handful torn fresh herbs such as parsley, mint, and dill, for serving
Ground sumac, for garnish
Warm flatbread, for serving
For the Yogurt-Tahini:
¾ cup (180 ml) plain full-fat Greek yogurt
½ cup (120 ml) tahini
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Preparation
For the Eggplant:
Preheat the grill over medium-high heat to about 400ºF (205ºC).
Drizzle the oil evenly over the eggplant and toss to coat. Sprinkle it with za’atar and season with salt and pepper. Rub the seasonings into the eggplant, being careful to coat the pieces evenly.
Grill the eggplant on each cut side for 5 to 7 minutes. Turn it skin-side down and grill for 2 minutes more, or until the eggplant has nice grill marks and is tender throughout.
Transfer the eggplant to a platter and drizzle it with the lemon juice, zest, and some of the tahini sauce. Scatter with the fresh herbs and sprinkle with sumac and more za’atar. Serve with warm flatbread and extra tahini sauce on the side
For the Yogurt-Tahini:
In a medium bowl, whisk together ⅓ cup (75 ml) water, the yogurt, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, and oil until smooth. Season with salt. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
