Slow Food Saddleback Recipes

From “Egyptian Cooking, A practical Guide”

1kg large purple eggplant
Salt
Oil for frying
2 cups tahina sauce

For Tahina Sauce

1 cup tahini (sesame paste)
1 to 2 cups water (depending on how runny you’d like it)
2 tbs lemon juice
1tbs vinegar (light apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar are suitable)
½ tsp cumin
Salt to taste
Optional: 3 cloves crushed garlic
Optional 1 small grated onion
Optional finely chopped parsley

Slice eggplants lengthways about 2cms thick, spread out and sprinkle with salt. Leave to drain for at least 1 hour. Drain off the liquid and mop up any remaining liquid with paper towel. Pat dry.

Heat oil in frypan and fry the eggplant. Drain on paper towels. Allow to cool.

Preheat oven to 180C.

Smear a little tahina sauce on base of baking dish. Arrange fried eggplant in the dish and cover with remaining tahina sauce.

Bake in centre of oven for about 15 minutes.

Tahina Sauce - Salatet Tihina

Add water, lemon juice, salt and vinegar to tahini paste and stir thoroughly until well blended (you can use a blender at a slow speed if you prefer).

Add any or all optional ingredients as you wish.