Turkish Roasted Eggplant and Walnut Salad

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat your oven to 220°C (425°F) and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Wash 600 g eggplants and 200 g red bell pepper, then pat them completely dry. Use a fork to prick each eggplant 5 to 6 times all over so they do not burst while baking. Place the whole eggplants and pepper on the tray.

2. 2

   Bake on the middle rack for 20 to 25 minutes. Turn the eggplants and pepper once halfway through cooking using tongs. They are ready when the skins are blackened, wrinkled, and a knife slides easily into the center of the eggplants. If the pepper chars earlier, remove it first to prevent burning.

3. 3

   Transfer the hot roasted eggplants and pepper to a bowl and cover with a plate or lid for 10 minutes. The trapped steam will soften the skins for easy peeling. Peel off the skins, discard seeds and stems, then place the flesh in a colander for 5 minutes to drain liquid so the salad stays thick.

4. 4

   Place a small skillet over medium heat. Add 50 g coarse walnut pieces and toast for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Watch closely so they do not burn. As soon as they smell fragrant and look light golden brown, remove the skillet from heat and slide walnuts onto a small plate.

5. 5

   Coarsely chop the drained eggplants and red pepper on a cutting board using a chef's knife. In a medium mixing bowl, combine 200 g strained yogurt, 10 g minced garlic, 15 ml olive oil, and 5 g salt. Whisk with a whisk or fork until creamy and completely smooth.

6. 6

   Gently fold the chopped roasted vegetables into the garlic yogurt mixture using a spoon until evenly combined. Scoop the salad onto a serving dish, scatter the toasted walnuts on top, and drizzle with the remaining 15 ml olive oil and 15 ml pomegranate molasses. Serve cool or at room temperature.

Serve with

Drink

Traditional Turkish Frothy Mint Ayran

Turkish · 10 min