Name: Zaalouk (Moroccan aubergine salad)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 2 aubergines (medium-sized); 3 tomatoes; 3 cloves garlic (finely chopped); 1 tbsp olive oil (extra virgin, for the aubergine); 1 tbsp olive oil (extra virgin); 1 tsp cumin powder; 1 tsp paprika powder (sweet or smoked); 0.5 tsp harissa (or cayenne pepper); salt (to taste); 0.25 tsp black pepper; 0.5 tsp turmeric powder; 2 sprigs coriander (or parsley, chopped); 0.5 lemon (the juice); olive oil (for drizzling)

Instructions

Preparation

Pluck the leaves from the 2 sprigs coriander and chop them finely. Squeeze a 0.5 lemon and cut the other half into wedges. Chop 3 cloves garlic finely. Wash 2 aubergines and remove the ends. Cut them into small cubes of about 1.5 cm. Sprinkle the cubes with a little salt and let them drain for 15 minutes in a colander. This helps to draw out the bitter juice from the aubergine and prevents them from absorbing too much oil during cooking. Then pat the cubes dry with kitchen paper.

Cooking

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Make a small cross at the bottom of each tomato and dip them in boiling water for 30 seconds. Take them out and rinse immediately with cold water. This allows you to easily remove the skin. Then cut the 3 tomatoes into small cubes and save the juice.
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the aubergine cubes and fry them for 10 minutes until golden brown and soft. Stir regularly to prevent burning. Then remove them from the pan and set aside.
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil again in the same pan and add the finely chopped garlic. Fry briefly until the aroma is released, but do not let it turn brown. Add the tomato cubes with their juice, along with 1 tsp cumin powder, 1 tsp paprika powder, 0.5 tsp turmeric powder, 0.25 tsp black pepper, and salt. Let this mixture simmer gently for about 5 minutes so that the flavours blend well.
Put the fried aubergine cubes back into the pan and stir well into the tomato sauce. Turn the heat low and let everything simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes with the lid on the pan. Stir occasionally and add a small splash of water if the sauce becomes too thick.
Once the eggplants are completely soft, mash the mixture briefly with a potato masher into a coarse spread. The texture should still contain pieces. Add 0.5 tsp harissa, the lemon juice, and the chopped coriander or parsley. Stir everything well.

To serve

Place the zaalouk in a serving dish and drizzle with extra olive oil for extra flavour, and place the lemon wedges on top. Serve it warm or at room temperature with fresh bread, such as Moroccan khobz, pita, or baguette. It is also delicious as a side dish with grilled meat, fish, or couscous.