roasted eggplant with caramelized tahini and cucumber yogurt salad by 177 milk street
Just a few months ago, you could have asked my husband if he likes eggplants and he would have responded with a definitive “no”. This recipe changed his mind. After eating this roasted eggplant with tahini, he looked at me and said, “Woah, I think I like eggplant.” Any recipe that can make an adult like more veggies is a win in our house.
I did a couple variations off of the 177 Milk Street recipe.
I made homemade tahini earlier in the week (for a hummus recipe), so I was excited to use the rest of it. I honestly didn’t measure it, but it was a little bit more than a 1/2 cup
I couldn’t find pomegranate molasses, so I just used regular molasses. The pomegranate would have added a little bit extra flavor.
I totally forgot to get the plain whole-milk yogurt. So, I made whipped cream. I beat 1 cup of whipping cream with 2 pinches of salt and a dash of lemon extract for freshness. I would definitely recommend the yogurt over the whipped cream. But the whipped cream is a must when you have no other option. The cream really tied the dish together perfectly!
Ingredients:
2 medium eggplants (1 to 1½ pounds each), halved lengthwise
2 tablespoons grapeseed or other neutral oil
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
½ cup tahini
4 medium garlic cloves, finely grated
4 tablespoons lemon juice, divided
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses, plus more to serve
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
¼ English cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeded, and shredded on the large holes of a box grater
⅓ cup pistachios, roughly chopped
½ cup chopped fresh dill, mint, flat-leaf parsley or a combination
Extra-virgin olive oil, to serve