Shared by Miri and Yoav Polachek
Shared by Miri and Yoav Polachek
Romanian Eggplant Salad
Yield: 8 servings
Romanian Eggplant Salad
Yield: 8 servingsFamily Journey
Transylvania, RomaniaNetanya, IsraelLexington, Massachusetts
Tel AvivNew York CityTel Aviv
This recipe was shared by Miri and Yoav Polachek. Read more about their family in " A Stuffed Cabbage Five Generations Strong" and try their recipes for sarmale (Romanian stuffed cabbage), and chopped liver with caramelized onions.
Like the sarmale or stuffed cabbage recipe, this dish has its roots in Transylvania. In Miri’s family growing up, it was accompanied by chopped raw onion. Today, she serves it as a first course when they have guests, often with freshly baked challah that Yoav makes.
Ingredients
For the salad
- 3 medium eggplants
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
For the garnish
- ½ medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tomato, halved and thinly sliced
Preparation
Step 1
Prepare the eggplants: The best result is from grilling the eggplants. Heat the grill. With a large knife, make a slit in each eggplant, and grill it covered for about 10 minutes. Open the slit wider, sprinkle a bit of kosher salt, and continue grilling for 5-10 minutes until the eggplants are soft. Remove from grill to a baking sheet and let cool. Alternatively, you can either char the eggplant directly on a stovetop for about 10 minutes on each side, or broil in an oven turning the eggplants over every 3 minutes for about 15 minutes until cooked.
Step 2
Once the eggplants are cool enough to handle, scoop out the eggplant meat into a blender. Discard the eggplant stems and skins.
Step 3
Prepare the salad: Add kosher salt, oil and lemon juice into the blender with the eggplants. Pulse the mixture 3 times until the mixture combines and still has some chunks.
Step 4
Transfer the eggplant mixture to a serving plate with a raised rim.
Step 5
Mix the chopped onion with oil.
Step 6
To serve, spread the onions over the eggplants in the plate and arrange the tomato slices around the eggplant salad. Serve at room temperature with fresh challah.
