This recipe reminds me of holiday food. Grilled eggplants are a great side because of their tender flesh. they can be done on charcoal grill or grill them in the oven!
This recipe comes with a tasty Mediterranean soured cream dip that is very elegant and full of flavour. I often make it even if I don’t have grilled eggplants. The soured cream dip goes very well with grilled zucchini or mushrooms too!
Ingredients
- 2 large eggplants, sliced in 1/4 inch thick rounds
- 8 tablespoons extra virgin Olive Oil
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon hot paprika flakes
- 1/2 cup soured cream
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- the juice from 1/2 lemon
- salt and ground pepper
Method
1. Mix extra virgin olive oil, minced garlic and paprika flakes in a microwave safe bowl.
2. Microwave for 1-2 minutes until the garlic is golden brown .
3. Using a fine mesh strainer, strain garlic oil into another small bowl. Keep garlic oil and the minced garlic in two separate bowls.
4. For the garlic soured cream dip, add 1/2 cup of soured cream in a bowl and stir in 1 tablespoon of garlic oil, lemon zest and juice, cumin, chopped parsley and then salt & pepper to taste. Mix all ingredients well and set aside in the fridge until the eggplants are ready to serve.
5. Slice two eggplants in 1/4 inch thick rounds and place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
6. Turn on the grill in the oven and turn it to high.
7. Brush each eggplant round with garlic oil and sprinkle it with salt, pepper and smoked paprika.
8. Transfer to the oven under the heated grill for 7-10 minutes until browned and tender.
9. Transfer to a serving plate and sprinkle with the drained garlic and serve with the soured cream dip.
Recipe in Images
