Braised Eggplant with Zhug Spice

Braised Eggplant with Zhug Spice

Ingredients:

Zhug Hummus:

4 cups chickpeas, cooked
1 dl olive oil
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cloves of garlic
2 teaspoons cumin, ground
2 teaspoons coriander, ground
3 teaspoons sea salt
pinch of Zhug Spice
Generous handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Braised eggplant:

3 medium-sized eggplants
1 dl olive oil
pinch of Zhug spice

Preparation:

HOW IT'S DONE

Braised eggplant:

Preheat the oven to 200C
Halve the eggplants and cut them in a cross pattern, only about 0.5-1cm deep. Place the eggplants in a baking dish with the skin side down.
Drizzle with olive oil and a pinch of Zhug seasoning.
Bake the eggplant for about 40 minutes, or until golden and tender. Let cool at room temperature.

Zhug Hummus

Place chickpeas, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, coriander and a pinch of salt in a blender or food processor. Blend until desired consistency is reached. If it is too thick, add 1 tablespoon of cold water.

Serving:

Place the roasted eggplant on a plate. Use a spoon to spread the hummus over the eggplant and sprinkle with olive oil and zhug seasoning - a little goes a long way, it's pretty spicy! For more spice, add more zhug seasoning.
Finally, sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Combine it with our tabbouleh salad and lamb rub dip with toasted pita chips for the real mezze experience.

Johannes from the Great Taste Team wishes you good luck and lots of enjoyment!