Perhaps it’s part of the pre-baby nesting, but ever since becoming pregnant, I’ve had an insatiable appetite for family stories. I’ve revisited the recordings that my maternal grandmother Jean sent from Tehran to her parents in Hawaii in the early ’60s. I’ve inhaled the archived articles that our dear friend François shares as part of a family tree gift he’s been working on for us.
Recipes, naturally, have played a large role in this quest for family connection. So, when my mom emailed me this eggplant dish – one that Teta, my paternal grandmother, used to make often – I knew I had to make it as soon as possible.
It’s a simple dish of broiled eggplant topped with garlic yogurt, fried pine nuts and chopped parsley. It is healthy, simple and satisfying, and can be made without much of a recipe at all. Scaling is easy as well, considering each person will have roughly one small to medium-sized eggplant. Most importantly, it feels good to eat, especially tucked into a warm fold of Arabic bread, as my Teta did.
A tip for choosing the best eggplant: look for small to medium sized eggplants with firm, slick, dark skin free from blemishes. Larger eggplants tend to have more seeds and can be more bitter.
Provisions
- 2 medium-sized eggplants (firm, with dark, smooth skin)
- 1 heaped cup plain yogurt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, rinsed and chopped
- Olive oil, for brushing and frying pine nuts
- Salt
- Sweet paprika and allspice, for garnish
Method
Slice the eggplant into 1/2" rounds. Sprinkle both sides of each slice with salt and place on a baking sheet or in a colander for 30 minutes. Pat gently with paper towels to remove the bitter liquid.
Preheat oven to 200C / 375F on the broil setting (heat coming from the top).
Place the slices on a baking sheet and brush both sides generously with olive oil. Broil for 4-5 minutes on the first side, until browned, then flip and broil another 2-3 minutes. Keep an eye on them - don't walk away! They can burn quickly and you may need to adjust your oven. Arrange the cooked eggplant slices on a serving dish.
Mix the yogurt with 1/4tsp of garlic powder and salt to taste, adding more salt and garlic to your liking. Heat the yogurt on the stove (or microwave) until warm, or let it sit to reach room temperature on its own.
Over low heat, fry the pine nuts in 1-2 tbsp olive oil until golden brown. Keep an eye on these too, as they burn quickly. It'll only take 2-3 minutes.
Spoon the yogurt over the eggplant. Top with the chopped parsley, fried pine nuts (and oil), and a sprinkle of paprika and allspice for a bit of color.
Serve with salad, rice, or warm Arabic bread pockets.
Notes
This recipe is easily scalable. Assume 1 medium eggplant and half cup of garlic yogurt per person.
A tip for choosing the best eggplant: look for small to medium sized eggplants with firm, slick, dark skin free from blemishes. Larger eggplants tend to have more seeds and can be more bitter.
