Grilled Eggplant With Yogurt And Mint Food

SMOKY EGGPLANT DIP WITH YOGURT AND MINT

Steps:

• Make a fire on one side of a charcoal grill. When the fire is hot, prick the eggplants all over with a fork, and place them on the hot side of the grill for 10 minutes, turning occasionally, to char the skin all over. Move the eggplants to the cool side of the grill, put on the lid, making sure the vents are open, and roast the eggplants for 40 to 45 minutes, until they collapse when you press on them, turning once halfway through. Transfer the eggplants to a platter and cut in half lengthwise, allowing any liquid to run out.
• With a slotted spoon, scoop the insides of the eggplants into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, discarding the skin and any excess liquid. Add the yogurt, lemon juice, mint, garlic, 1 tablespoon olive oil, the Sriracha, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Pulse just five or six times to combine but not puree the ingredients. Taste for seasonings; it should be highly seasoned!
• Transfer to a shallow serving bowl, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with extra mint and salt, and serve warm or at room temperature with pita triangles.

GRILLED EGGPLANT WITH YOGHURT SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine the Yoghurt Sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Set aside for the flavours to develop. The longer you leave it, the better it will taste.
• Use a potato peeler to peel "strips" off the eggplant vertically as per the photo below. If your potato peeler is not sharp enough or if the eggplant is on the soft side, you might need to do this with a small sharp knife.
• Cut the eggplant into 1.5cm / 2/3" thick rounds.
• Brush one side of each eggplant with olive oil. The more you use, the yummier it will be!
• Sprinkle the oiled side of the eggplant with salt and pepper.
• Heat a griddle pan (or BBQ) on medium high heat. (Note 5)
• Place the oiled side of each eggplant onto the pan and grill for 2 to 3 minutes until it gets deep char lines on it. While the first side is cooking, brush the other side of each eggplant with the remaining olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Turn the eggplant and cook the other side until the eggplant is cooked through but still holding it's shape. The easy way to tell is to prod the centre - if you feel resistance, it needs to cook more.
• Remove the eggplant onto a serving plate and let it cool for a few minutes. Then spoon a dollop of the yoghurt sauce on each, and scatter with coriander/cilantro, mint, pomegranate seeds and chili. Drizzle with extra olive oil and serve with cheeks or wedges of lemon, if desired.

GRILLED EGGPLANT WITH MINT

Steps:

• Grill 4 small Japanese eggplants over medium-high heat, turning, until very soft, 15 minutes. Cook 3 sliced garlic cloves in 3 tablespoons olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat; add a pinch of red pepper flakes. Trim the ends off the eggplant and split open. Scrape the flesh with a fork and season with salt. Top with the garlic oil and sliced mint.

GRILLED EGGPLANT WITH YOGURT-MINT SAUCE

Steps:

• Mix first 5 ingredients in medium bowl; season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Rub eggplant rounds on both sides with sesame oil. Sprinkle with coriander, salt, and pepper. Grill until slightly charred, about 6 minutes per side.
• Arrange eggplant rounds on platter. Serve with yogurt-mint sauce.

EGGPLANT WITH MINTY SAUCE AND YOGURT

Steps:

• Trim the very ends of the eggplant and cut it crosswise into 1-inch-thick slices. Put the slices in a single layer in a large platter or lasagna-type dish. Sprinkle the salt over both sides, rubbing it in well. Set aside for 1 hour. Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce. Put the oil a large, nonstick frying pan set over medium-high heat. When hot, add onion. Stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the onion pieces begin to brown at the edges. Put in the garlic. Stir for a few seconds. Then put in the tomatoes and their liquid as well as all the remaining ingredients for the tomato sauce. Stir to mix. Cover, turn the heat to low, and cook gently for 10 minutes. Set aside in a warm place. Yogurt sauce: Put the yogurt in a small bowl and beat lightly with a fork. Just before you eat, put oil to a depth of 2 to 3 inches for deep-frying in a wok or deep-fryer and set over medium heat. Take the eggplant slices from the platter and dry them off well with paper towels. When the oil is hot, drop in as many slices as the utensil will hold easily and fry, turning now and then, for 6 to 7 minutes, or until both sides are a medium brown color. Drain well on paper towels. To serve, arrange the eggplant slices in a single layer on a large platter. Top each slice with a dollop of the tomato sauce and then with a tablespoon of the yogurt. Garnish with the mint sprigs or leaves. Serve immediately.

SMOKY EGGPLANT SALAD WITH YOGURT AND MINT

Steps:

• Put the whole eggplants on a barbecue grate over hot coals. Turning frequently, cook until the skin is completely blackened and charred and eggplants begin to soften and collapse, about 10 minutes. Alternatively cook them directly on a stovetop burner or under the broiler. Set aside to cool.
• Cut eggplants in quarters top to bottom and carefully separate the flesh from the skin with a spoon or paring knife. Discard the charred skin. Chop flesh roughly with a large knife or in a food processor and put it in a fine-meshed sieve to drain excess liquid.
• Transfer eggplants to a mixing bowl. Add salt, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, yogurt and dried mint. Mix well, then set aside to rest for a few minutes. Check seasoning and adjust.
• Put mixture in a low serving bowl. Drizzle with pomegranate molasses, if using, and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle with chopped mint and parsley and a pinch of red pepper flakes.

GRILLED EGGPLANT WITH LEBNEH

Steps:

• If using whole-milk plain yogurt, drain in a paper-towel-lined sieve set over a bowl, covered and chilled, 8 to 12 hours.
• Mince garlic and mash to a paste with a pinch of salt, then transfer to a bowl. Whisk in lebneh or drained yogurt, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and enough water to make mixture resemble well-stirred sour cream.
• Prepare grill for cooking. If using a charcoal grill, open vents on bottom of grill, then light charcoal. Charcoal fire is medium-hot when you can hold your hand 5 inches above rack for 3 to 4 seconds. If using a gas grill, preheat burners on moderately high, covered, 10 minutes, then reduce heat to moderate.
• Brush eggplant slices generously with oil on both sides and sprinkle with remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt. Grill slices on lightly oiled grill rack, covered only if using a gas grill, turning over occasionally, until eggplant is tender, 12 to 15 minutes total. Transfer as cooked to a platter, arranging slices in 1 layer. Put a spoonful of yogurt mixture on each eggplant slice and top with a mint leaf.

GRIDDLED AUBERGINES WITH YOGURT & MINT

Steps:

• Drizzle the aubergine slices with olive oil and a little salt and pepper, and toss in a bowl. Heat a griddle pan until hot and cook the slices on both sides until soft and lightly charred; you'll need to do this in batches. Leave to cool slightly on a serving plate.
• Meanwhile, mix the yogurt with the lemon juice, garlic and mint in a bowl. Season the mixture to taste. Drizzle the yogurt mixture over the griddled aubergine and serve at room temperature.