In the village of Matat, in the Upper Galilee, I recently visited Erez Komarovsky, who runs a cooking school out of his home near the Lebanese border. “Israeli cuisine is intuitive, it comes from the belly,” he said, “It is faster cuisine and represents the national character and is a little arrogant, as we are.”
Eggplant With Tahina and Yogurt
March 21, 2021
Ingredients
- 2 or 3 bulbous eggplants (about 3 pounds)
- 5tablespoons tahina
- ½cup yogurt
- 1juiced lemon, or to taste
- salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 5cloves garlic
- 2tablespoons olive oil
Yield: About 4 cups
Preparation
- Step 1
Grill the whole eggplant over a charcoal or gas burner, turning carefully with tongs for several minutes as the eggplant softens. Continue grilling until soft. If you want to skip the grilling (which can get messy), you can also prick the skin with a fork and bake the eggplant in a 450-degree oven for about 30 minutes or until it is soft. Using this method, however, will not obtain the same smoky flavor as grilling. Cool and peel the eggplant, being sure to retain some of the charred eggplant skin.
- Step 2
Pour the tahina, yogurt, lemon juice, salt, pepper, garlic and olive oil into the bowl of a food processor. Purée and add a little water if it seems too thick.
- Step 3
Pulse the eggplant into the sauce, stopping before it becomes a purée, maintaining a chunky consistency.
- Step 4
Serve with pita or pita chips.
Adapted from Erez Komarovsky
