This is one of the recipes you don't want to miss! A great combination of flavors and textures. Roasted eggplant is the star of this dish and sumac is what makes it extra special. Either you looking for a light lunch or a side dish, this recipe can do both! Just grab a pita and dig into it.
Sumac is a tangy spice with sour, acidic flavor kinda like lemon juice. You can find sumac in any middle eastern or Persian grocery store and once you find it, I recommend you to try my Rhubarb Bars with Sumac recipe too!
This recipe will serve two and you can keep it in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Ingredients
Roasted Eggplant:
1 large eggplant
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
To serve:
100 gram halloumi (cut into 1 inch cubes)
1 cup greek yogurt
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1/4 of medium red onion (thinly sliced)
1/2 cup fresh parsley (roughly chopped)
1/4 cup fresh dill (roughly chopped)
1/4 cup fresh mint (roughly chopped)
2 tablespoons sumac
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
Flaky salt to taste
Pita bread for serving (optional)
Instruction:
Preheat the oven to 400F.
Cut the eggplant into 1 inch cubes. In a medium bowl mix together the eggplant cubes, olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme.
Cover an oven tray with aluminum foil and place the eggplants on top.
Bake the eggplants in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until they are soft and golden brown.
Meanwhile, pan-fry the halloumi cubes over medium-high heat until each side turns golden brown. Set aside.
In a small bowl mix the red onion slices with 1/2 tablespoon lime juice and 1/2 tablespoon sumac. Set it aside
In a medium bowl mix together the parsley, dill and mint with 1/2 tablespoon remaining lime juice and 1/2 tablespoon sumac. Set this aside as well.
Mix together the greek yogurt and minced garlics.
To serve:
Grab a serving plate and swirl the greek yogurt on to it.
Drizzle the one tablespoon olive oil on top. Sprinkle the flakey salt and 1 tablespoon remaining sumac on top of the yogurt. Sprinkle the chili flakes if you desire.
Top it with baked eggplants.
Top the eggplants with pan-fried halloumi.
Place the red onion mixture on the top.
Finish it with a handful of fresh herbs on top.
Serve it with warm pitta.
نوش جان
