Another recipe from Bon Appetit! This time it is for roasted eggplant, crispy kale, tomatoes & yogurt! We ate this just as is without anything else, but it would be excellent in a pita with some hummus…some falafel… with some fish….rolled up in a wrap… the possibilities are endless!
The eggplant is cut & roasted, making the flesh very tender. I roasted the kale at the same time. The recipe said to put it into a hot pan until crispy, but that would have taken longer then I wanted to spend on crisping up kale so I make kale chips… I just put the washed & dried kale onto a baking sheet & roasted it! It worked beautifully. Some of the kale wasn’t crispy, but I find that is how kale is…sometimes it is all crispy & sometimes not! This whole dish is layered…first the yogurt, then the kale, then the eggplant then topped with fresh tomatoes!
The recipe made too much for Murray & I… there were lots of leftovers.. I would cut the recipe in half for us next time I make it. I am going to make this for guests as part of a buffet type of dinner!
Here is the recipe
Ingredients
2 eggplants, about 1 1/2 pounds total *** I used 1 large eggplant
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 tsp cumin powder
6 kale leaves
1 medium-sized cucumber *** I used 2 mini cucumbers
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 clove garlic, minced *** the recipe calls for more garlic but it was too much for us so I have reduced the garlic by half
salt
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
olive oil for drizzling over the whole dish as a garnish
Method
Line 2 baking sheets with foil
Preheat oven to 400f
- Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise, then again lengthwise, into small 1- 2 inch pieces..
- Toss the cut eggplant with the oil & put onto a lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with some salt & roast until starting to char & the eggplant is tender…about 20 minutes but it depends on the size you cut the eggplant. Use a spatula to turn the eggplant over about half way through the cooking time. When the eggplant is cooked, remove from the oven & sprinkle the cumin on & toss to combine. Set aside
- Remove the kale leaves from the stem, wash & dry the leaves & cut or tear into bite size pieces
- Place the kale leaves in a single layer on the 2nd baking sheet. I roasted these without adding any oil or salt. Roast these in the oven with the eggplant, but put them on the upper rack ( not the bottom one ) so they do not burn. Roast these until they are shriveled & crispy. Watch them often so they do not burn.
- While the eggplant & kale are in oven…grate the cucumber with a medium holed grater… using your hands, squeeze the moisture out of the cucumber & put it into a medium size bowl
- Add the yogurt, lemon juice, & garlic to the cucumber. Add some salt to season it. Mix well
- Next, drizzle the cut tomatoes in some olive oil. Salt them. Toss to coat all of the tomato pieces with the oil
- Taking a flat serving dish…I used a rimmed dish ….start to layer this on a platter!
Spread the yogurt on the platter first, then put the eggplant evenly over yogurt, then the kale overtop of the eggplant & next put the tomatoes all over. Drizzle some olive oil over the tomatoes.
Enjoy!
I am very intrigued by this recipe! Sounds very different but might be a nice filling vegetarian meal.
It was very good! We enjoyed it and had it as our main course. I had some pita chips with it…
Yummy – love the colours and flavours and just looks so tasty!