Roasted Eggplant With Tahini, Pine Nuts, and Lentils Recipe (2024)

Why It Works

  • Puréeing the garlic in lemon juice tames its flavor, creating a tahini that's flavorful but not pungent.
  • Cooking the eggplant at high heat evaporates its moisture quickly.

This dish of eggplant roasted until caramelized and tender, served over stewed lentils with an extraordinarily light and creamy tahini sauce and crunchy pine nuts, was dinner and lunch for more meals than I care to count a couple of weeks back. Not that I'm complaining: It's extremely good.

I gotta admit, it was a little disappointing to see my bookget eliminated from Food52's annual Piglet tournament of cookbooksin the quarterfinal round, but it was a loss made much sweeter by the fact that I was introduced to another book I would have never seen if it weren't for the competition. As soon as I readPhyllis Grant's breathless description of the tahini sauce recipein Michael Solomonov'sZahav, I ordered the book without a second thought.

Oh, man, was it worth it.

I'd been experimenting with the treatment of chickpeas in hummus recipes for a while, but I'd largely been ignoring what, for Israeli versions of hummus, is almost as important: the tahini.

Roasted Eggplant With Tahini, Pine Nuts, and Lentils Recipe (1)

Getting Garlicky: the Tahini Sauce

Solomonov's version begins by puréeing whole, unpeeled garlic cloves with lemon juice in a blender. You'd expect this to create an intensely pungent garlic flavor, yet, because the garlic is puréed in an acidic liquid, it forms very little of the nose-tickling garlicky compound known asallicinand instead ends up mild and fragrant. (More details on this process in the hummus examination.)

The garlic and lemon mixture gets pushed through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl. You whisk in some cumin and tahini, which immediately seizes up into a clumpy, cement-like paste. Don't worry: As you slowly whisk in cold water, the mixture transforms into a gloriously light and creamy sauce with the texture of yogurt and a savory nuttiness.

It's very rare that I'm completely satisfied with a technique the first time I try it, but after some serious tinkering with this one, I couldn't find any way to improve upon Solomonov's original. With the exception of a few minor changes in ratios, it's essentially step for step how he does it. It works wonders as an ingredient in dips, or, as I'm using it here, as a sauce for roasted eggplant.

Eggplant is an almost cliché ingredient in vegetarian and vegan dishes (think: grilled eggplant in place of burgers), but there's a good reason: It's incredibly tasty when cooked right.

Roasted Eggplant With Tahini, Pine Nuts, and Lentils Recipe (2)

Roasting the Eggplant

I like to treat my eggplant to some pretty intense heat, whether it's whole on the grill, placed directly over the gas flame of a burner until charred, or roasted. High heat rapidly evaporates its interior moisture, allowing the eggplant to compress and increase in density while also adding nice smokiness.

Roasting eggplants whole will yield meltingly tender flesh inside, but here I wanted something a little meatier. So I split them in half first and scored them to expose their flesh to more of the caramelizing heat of the oven.

Eggplant is quite porous and will absorb a good amount of oil, so I brush it on pretty generously—at least a tablespoon per cut half—allowing each brushstroke of oil to soak into the flesh before brushing it on again. Oil not only adds rich texture and flavor (especially if it's a good-quality extra-virgin olive oil) but also ensures more even browning and heat distribution.

I roast the eggplants in a hot oven with a few sprigs of rosemary for extra fragrance. (If you prefer thyme, oregano, parsley, or any other herb, really, there's nothing that should stop you.) When the eggplant is tender and caramelized, it's ready to serve. You could scoop out the flesh andwhip it into a baba ganoush, but in this case, I like the fork-and-knife heartiness of serving it deconstructed, with the tahini sauce spooned over it.

A Simple Lentil Stew

To make it a complete meal, I pair it up with some lentils that are simply cooked with onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and bay leaves.

Roasted Eggplant With Tahini, Pine Nuts, and Lentils Recipe (4)

Rosemary, parsley, and toasted pine nuts add freshness and texture. Like I said, I was a little bit bummed when I saw my book get bumped out, but it's really hard to get hung up in gray clouds when the silver linings are so darn delicious.

March 2016

Recipe Details

Roasted Eggplant With Tahini, Pine Nuts, and Lentils Recipe

Cook45 mins

Active60 mins

Total45 mins

Serves4 servings

For the Lentils:

  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) extra-virgin olive oil

  • 2 small carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks (about 1 cup; 170g)

  • 2 small stalks celery, cut into 1/4-inch slices (about 1 cup; 115g)

  • 1 medium onion, finely diced (about 1 cup; 225g)

  • 6 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced

  • 12 ounces (340g) brown or de Puy lentils

  • 2 bay leaves

  • 4 cupshomemade vegetable stockor water (about 1L) (see notes)

  • Kosher salt

  • 2 teaspoons (10ml) red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or sherry vinegar

  • Freshly ground black pepper

For the Eggplant:

  • 2 large Italian or small globe eggplants, about 1 pound (450g) each

  • 4 tablespoons (60ml) extra-virgin olive oil

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 4 large sprigs fresh rosemary

To Serve:

  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

  • 1/4 cup pine nuts (about 2 1/2 ounces; 70g)

  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves

  • 1 recipe tahini sauce with garlic and lemon

Directions

  1. For the Lentils: Adjust oven rack to center position and preheat oven to 450°F (230°C) to prepare for roasting eggplant. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add carrots, celery, and onion and cook, stirring, until softened but not browned, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add lentils, bay leaves, stock or water, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer, cover with the lid partially ajar, and cook until lentils are tender, about 30 minutes. (Top up with water if lentils are at any point not fully submerged.) Remove lid, stir in vinegar, and reduce until lentils are moist but not soupy. Season to taste with salt and pepper, cover, and keep warm until ready to serve.

  2. For the Eggplant: While lentils cook, cut each eggplant in half. Score flesh with the tip of a paring knife in a cross-hatch pattern at 1-inch intervals. Transfer to a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet, cut side up, and brush each eggplant half with 1 tablespoon oil, letting each brushstroke be fully absorbed before brushing with more. Season with salt and pepper. Place a rosemary sprig on top of each one. Transfer to oven and roast until completely tender and well charred, 25 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven and discard rosemary.

    Roasted Eggplant With Tahini, Pine Nuts, and Lentils Recipe (5)

  3. To Serve: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and pine nuts in a medium skillet set over medium heat. Cook, tossing nuts frequently, until golden brown and aromatic, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to halt cooking. Stir half of parsley and rosemary into lentils and transfer to a serving platter. Arrange eggplant halves on top. Spread a few tablespoons of tahini sauce over each eggplant half and sprinkle with pine nuts. Sprinkle with remaining parsley and rosemary, drizzle with additional olive oil, and serve.

Special Equipment

Rimmed baking sheet, fine-mesh strainer, pastry brush, blender

Notes

Do not use store-bought vegetable stock. It is never very good.

Read More

  • Tahini Sauce With Garlic and Lemon Recipe
  • The Best Baba Ganoush Recipe
  • Know Your Tahini: The Many Sides of a Sesame Powerhouse
Roasted Eggplant With Tahini, Pine Nuts, and Lentils Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to cooking eggplant? ›

Eggplants are known to absorb a lot of fat while cooking. A useful tip to prevent sogginess and greasiness is to salt sliced or diced eggplant and let it sit for an hour. This helps to draw out moisture. Next, rinse and drain any liquid from the sliced eggplant, then pat dry before cooking.

Should I soak eggplant before roasting? ›

Brining adds flavor and texture to eggplants. "Mix spices and salt with water, then soak sliced eggplant in the brine for 30 minutes before cooking.

How do you know when eggplant is cooked enough? ›

When it's cooked, “it should turn fully tender, all the flesh should be somewhat custardy. If you have to, hammer it a bit, knock it around, let it start to collapse.” When you're roasting eggplant, like in YuChen's recipe, “make sure you give them enough space so they can cook evenly,” she says.

How do you roast eggplant so it's not bitter? ›

If you are worried that the eggplant might be bitter, slice or cube it, then salt it liberally and allow it to drain for an hour or so before cooking. Putting salt on the eggplant triggers osmosis, which draws out excess moisture and the bitterness along with it.

Do I have to salt eggplant before roasting? ›

Older recipes call for salting eggplant to draw out the bitter juices, but today's eggplants are less bitter (unless very large), so salting is largely unnecessary. It will, however, help the spongy flesh absorb less oil and crisp up like a dream.

Do you eat the skin of roasted eggplant? ›

The skin is edible, so you can leave it on when preparing eggplant. Cut off the stem and then cut into your desired shape—slices and cubes are popular options. Cut off and discard any parts that are turning brown. Those parts are more bitter than the normally creamy white interior.

What happens if you don't salt eggplant before cooking? ›

Salting: Salting removes excess liquid and some of the bitterness. Today's eggplants are bred for mildness, though, so it's not as important as it used to be (if you are frying eggplant, salting will ensure a creamy texture and rich flavor). This method works for eggplant slices, cubes, or planks.

Is eggplant OK if a little brown inside? ›

Answer. Eggplant flesh will have tan to brown colored spots around the seeds. If this is the color you are referring to, it is edible. If the flesh is more brown than white, the eggplant may be spoiling and should be discarded.

Why is my roasted eggplant mushy? ›

Overcooking is a common mistake that can lead to mushy eggplant. Keep a close eye on your eggplant while it's cooking and avoid leaving it on the heat for too long. The cooking time may vary depending on the chosen method and the thickness of the slices.

How to roast eggplant Jamie Oliver? ›

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Brush both sides of eggplant slices with oil, and place in a single layer on two or more baking sheets. Bake until undersides are golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes, then turn and bake until other sides are lightly browned.

Do you salt eggplant before or after cooking? ›

Conventional wisdom has you salt the slices to draw bitter liquid out of the eggplant. Once the slices have sat for about a hour, you're suppose to rinse them under cool water to remove any excess salt and then proceed with your recipe.

Do you have to prepare eggplant before cooking? ›

Many recipes call for eggplants to be salted and rinsed to draw out any bitter juices, but this shouldn't be necessary if they're fresh. If the seeds are too defined or feel hard, the eggplant may be old and should be salted.

What do you soak eggplant in before cooking? ›

Brining Instructions
  1. Fill a large bowl with 1 tablespoon salt and about 1/2 cup hot water. ...
  2. Fill the bowl with about 2 quarts cold water. ...
  3. Cut the eggplant into the size and shape you need for the recipe. ...
  4. Let the eggplant sit in the brine for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
Oct 2, 2019

Do you always have to salt eggplant before cooking? ›

Older recipes call for salting eggplant to draw out the bitter juices, but today's eggplants are less bitter (unless very large), so salting is largely unnecessary. It will, however, help the spongy flesh absorb less oil and crisp up like a dream.

Should you soak eggplant in milk or salt water? ›

Soak eggplant slices or cubes in milk for about 30 minutes before cooking. The milk not only tempers the bitterness, but it actually makes for eggplant that is extra creamy, since the vegetable acts like a sponge and soaks up a good amount of milk in its flesh.

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