Turkish Vegetarian Eggplant Appetizer With Garlic And Walnuts Food

TURKISH-STYLE BRAISED EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Trim ends off the eggplant. With a vegetable peeler, cut off alternating strips of skin. Cut eggplant into 1-inch cubes, place in a colander over a large bowl and toss with salt. Let sit for 30 minutes to 3 hours, rinse well and squeeze to remove as much liquid as possible; do not break cubes up.
• In a large skillet or saucepan, heat 1/4 cup olive oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the eggplant cubes and move them around occasionally, until they are rather tender and somewhat browned, about 7 minutes. Remove from the pan with tongs, leaving as much oil as possible in the pan. Set aside.
• Add remaining oil to the pan with the onions and pine nuts and stir occasionally, until the onions are transparent and some pine nuts are lightly browned, 7 or 8 minutes.
• Return eggplant to the pan with the tomato, raisins, sugar, cinnamon, cumin and pepper. Mix well, then turn heat to low. Cover the pan and cook until the eggplant is very tender but still in distinct pieces, about 30 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking, stirring once or twice, until the liquid is somewhat thickened, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Remove the pan from heat and let sit uncovered until it is at room temperature, about 45 minutes. Stir in the dill and parsley, adjust the seasonings to taste and serve, accompanied by yogurt and lemon wedges for squeezing.

MOLDOVAN EGGPLANT WITH GARLIC AND WALNUT SAUCE (APPETIZER)

Steps:

• Slice the unpeeled Eggplant into rounds of 1/2 inch thick, and then cut each round in half crosswise.
• Rinse and place on paper towel to drain. Sprinkle with salt and let the Eggplant stand for at least 30 minutes. Pat dry.
• In large skillet heat 1 tablespoon of oil. Place some Eggplant slices in the hot oil and cook over medium-low heat, covered, until soft and lightly browned, about 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the Eggplant, add another tablespoon of oil to the pan, and cook, covered, for another 2 to 3 minutes.
• Remove the Eggplant slices from the oil and drain well. Repeat the process with the remaining slices, adding oil as necessary.
• In a mortar with a pestle, pound 1 teaspoon salt the garlic and the nuts to make a paste. Mix well the paste adding the vinegar and the water. Spread the paste lightly on the cooked Eggplant slices; let sit for 10 minutes. Place the Eggplant on a dish and serve at room temperature, garnished with chopped parsley.

TURKISH VEGETARIAN EGGPLANT APPETIZER WITH GARLIC AND WALNUTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and brush with olive oil.
• Brush eggplant slices on both sides with olive oil and place on the baking tray in a single layer.
• Bake in the preheated oven until soft and browned, about 20 minutes, turning slices over once after 10 minutes. Transfer slices to a large serving place, brush with vinegar, and sprinkle with salt. Let cool.
• Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat and cook garlic until softened and fragrant without browning, about 3 minutes.
• Mix parsley and walnuts in a bowl. Add sauteed garlic and a little bit of olive oil to make a paste. Mix well, season with salt, and spread the paste onto the cooled eggplant slices.

TURKISH EGGPLANT & PEPPER SALAD WITH WALNUTS & YOGURT

Steps:

• Wrap eggplant in a double layer of aluminum foil, sealing the package well. Set package directly over a medium gas flame or a charcoal fire, turning occasionally until eggplant is tender, about 25 minutes. You can also bake the eggplant unwrapped on a baking sheet in a moderately hot oven, about 400 degrees, pricking it first to prevent bursting, but it will not have the desirable smoky taste.
• Carefully unwrap the foil package, and when eggplant is cool enough to handle, remove the charred black skin. Scrape flesh into a bowl and add cold water to cover. Add lemon juice and let stand 30 minutes to keep the eggplant from darkening. Drain eggplant and squeeze dry.
• Over a gas flame or charcoal fire, or under a broiler, cook green pepper and chile until blackened and blistered all over. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove the skins, ribs and seeds. Mince the green pepper and chile.
• Put the eggplant, green pepper, chile and garlic in a mortar and pound to a paste. Alternatively, mince to a paste by hand. Stir in the olive oil, walnuts and yogurt. Season to taste with salt, pepper and wine vinegar. Let stand at room temperature for a couple of hours to blend flavors, or refrigerate for longer keeping.
• Makes 2-2 1/2 cups.