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Eggplant Mezze Plate

Eggplant, cooked 2 ways, and served on a mezze plate with toasted pita, rose harissa and labneh
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Servings: 6 people
Author: Amanda Lawson

Ingredients

  • 2 eggplants
  • 1 1/2 - 2 cups olive oil
  • 1 head garlic
  • 1 400g tin chick peas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 1/2 lemons, zest and juice
  • 2 tbsp tahini
  • 2 tbsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground
  • flaked sea salt or smoked salt
  • freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced).
  • Line 2 baking trays with paper for the sliced eggplant, and line a third tray or small dish for the whole eggplant.
  • Pierce the whole eggplant a few times with a skewer, put it in the dish/tray, together with the whole head of garlic and then tranfer it into the oven.
  • Slice one eggplant thinly, with the slices as even as possible, and arrange on the tray.
  • Mix 1/4 cup olive oil in a dish with 1/2 tsp of your favourite salt (I like to use smoked salt for this dish), and brush each eggplant slice, top and bottom with the mixture, and put into the oven.
  • Cook the eggplant slices for about 20 minutes until they turn golden. Remove from the oven, and and set aside to cool.
  • Cook the whole eggplant for about 45 minutes, until it is soft and malleable when pressed with your fingers. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
  • Put the eggplant slices in a jar and pour olive oil over the top to immerse them, then store in the fridge.

Egglant Dip

  • While the eggplant is cooking, dry toast the cumin seeds, then grind them in a spice grinder or pound them with a mortar and pestle.
  • When the eggplant is cool enough to handle, chop it roughly and tip it into a large bowl.
  • Squeeze the cloves of garlic out of their skins into the bowl with the chopped eggplant
  • Add the tahini, 1/2 cup olive oil, lemon zest and juice, 1 tbsp cumin seeds and mix with a handheld blender, or puree with a food processor. Season to taste. Add more lemon juice and olive oil if you think it needs it.
  • Serev immediately with a drizzle of olive oil and the remaining cumin seed on top. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Notes

Both the eggplant slices and the dip will keep in the fridge for up to a week. My kids like the mild flavour of this dip. However, if you prefer more of a bite, add 2 cloves of crushed garlic to the dip. 
Bring both to room temperature before serving.
Labneh and rose harissa can both be purchased from specialty grocery stores.