This cooked salad can be prepared in many different ways, including a twice-fried method that by most standards is overwhelmingly oily. These options are all suitable, though the first one, in which the eggplant is grilled, is my favorite. The salad is best served cold, so plan to prepare it ahead of time and refrigerate. It’s quite good warm or at room temperature too.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Start a charcoal or wood fire or preheat a gas grill (or the broiler); the rack should be 4 to 6 inches from the heat source. Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise up to the stem, but do not cut through. Spread the garlic and onion in between the eggplant halves and press the halves back together.
Step 2
Grill the tomatoes and eggplants, turning once or twice, until they are blackened and soft, 5 to 10 minutes for the tomatoes, 10 to 15 for the eggplants.
Step 3
Let cool a bit, then peel off the skins and let cool further. Roughly chop the vegetables, reserving any juices, then mix with the paprika, cumin, lemon juice, oil, harissa, and salt and pepper.
Step 4
Chill if time allows or serve warm or at room temperature; in any case, garnish if you like with the parsley, capers, and olives just before serving.
Sautéed Eggplant Salad
Step 5
Cut the eggplants and tomatoes into 1-inch cubes. Sprinkle the eggplant pieces with salt, put them in a colander, and let them sit for at least 30 minutes, preferably 60. Rinse, drain, and pat dry.Heat the oil in a large skillet and cook the eggplant until almost soft, about 7 minutes, then add the garlic, onion, and tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining seasonings. Serve warm or chill and garnish if you like.
Roasted Eggplant Salad
Step 6
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cut the eggplants and tomatoes into 1-inch cubes. Sprinkle the eggplant pieces with salt, put them in a colander, and let them sit for at least 30 minutes, preferably 60. Rinse, drain, and pat dry. Place the eggplant, tomatoes, garlic, onion, paprika, cumin, and oil into an ovenproof baking dish. Stir well and cover with foil. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, stirring once or twice and adding some water if the mixture looks too dry (unlikely but not impossible). Remove from the oven and let cool. Stir in the lemon juice, harissa, salt, and pepper. Garnish if you like and serve.
