Middle Eastern Roasted Eggplant Salad

Amount Per Serving

Ingredients:

1 Kilogram Egg Plant 

1/3 Cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Colored Bell Peppers

1 Red Jalapeno 

1 Kilogram Tomato of Choice

1  Clove of Snow Mountain Garlic

1 Tablespoon of Salt or to taste

2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste

1/2 Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper

1/3 Tablespoon Sugar or to taste

3 Tablespoon Paprika

Method:

1. Set the oven to 215 degrees Celsius. As the oven warms, chop off the top parts of the eggplants and cut down the sides, leaving behind strips of skin so that not all of it is peeled off, but enough to ensure the eggplant remains solid but not overly chewy. This method ensures the eggplant cubes don’t become too hard.

2. Dice the eggplant into pieces and mix them in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

3. Coat a large baking tray generously with olive oil, then arrange the eggplant in an even layer across the tray.

4. Line a half baking sheet with parchment paper and place the bell peppers and jalapeno or chili pepper on the sheet. Place both baking sheets in the oven and let the vegetables roast for 12 minutes.

5. After 10 minutes, flip each of the peppers using tongs and keep cooking for an additional 3-5 minutes, up until the small pepper is tender and starting to fall apart. Take the small roasted pepper off the heat and lay it on a cutting board. Cover the pepper with a small bowl to allow the steam to escape.

6. Rotate the bigger bell peppers once more and place them back in the oven. Mix the eggplant on its baking tray. Keep roasting the eggplant and bell peppers for a few more minutes until the eggplant is tender and has a light brown color, and the bell peppers are soft and starting to break down.

7. As the other veggies are done roasting, cut off the small pepper, remove any excess skin, and extract the seeds (if you prefer a spicy salad, I leave in 10-15 seeds for a bit of heat). Chop them into small bits.After the eggplant and peppers are roasted, take them out of the oven. Put the peppers in a bowl, top the bowl with a plate, and let them steam for a few minutes. Leave the eggplant for now. After the peppers have steamed, remove the seeds and peel off the skin. Chop them into small pieces.

8. Mix peppers, tomatoes, garlic, salt, tomato paste, and chili flakes in a saucepan. Heat up the mixture until it reaches a boil, then let it cook on low heat for 30 to 40 minutes, making sure to stir every 8 to 10 minutes, until the mixture has reduced most of the extra liquid.

9. Mix in the toasted eggplant pieces and keep cooking for an additional 5-10 minutes until it thickens and becomes saucy. Turn off the heat. Add sugar or your preferred sweetener to your liking. 

10. Mix the leftover 1/4 cup olive oil and paprika in a tiny bowl. Add the oil to the salad and blend it thoroughly.

11. Keep the salad chilled or at room temperature.

This recipe has 4 servings.