Roasted Baby Eggplants

Caramelized roasted baby eggplants with Middle Eastern spices, served with a garlic yogurt dip.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Middle Eastern

Diet Halal, Vegetarian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 40

Servings people

Calories 372kcal

Author Farah Abumaizar

Ingredients

For the roasted baby eggplant:

16 baby eggplants, cut in half
2 tablespoon olive oil
big pinch salt
pinch black pepper
1 teaspoon sumac, optional

For the garlic yogurt sauce:

1 head garlic
drizzle olive oil
1/3 cup labneh
2/3 cup plain or greek yogurt 6oz, 170g
1/4 teaspoon dried mint
1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

For the roasted eggplant:

Preheat oven to 400F (200C) . Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place the eggplants on a tray, and drizzle the cut halves generously with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Transfer to the baking sheet, cut side down.
Cut the very top horizontally off the head of garlic to slightly expose the cloves, and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap in aluminum foil to cover,and place on the tray of the eggplants.
Roast the eggplants and the garlic for 35-40 minutes, flipping the eggplants over halfway through, or until eggplants are caramelized, golden brown and tender if poked with a fork.
Carefully remove from baking tray and place on serving platter. Sprinkle with sumac.

For the garlic yogurt sauce:

Carefully squeeze out the roasted garlic cloves in a small bowl. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and mix to combine well. Drizzle with olive oil and garnish with fresh mint if desired. Serve alongside the roasted eggplant to dip the eggplant in.

Video

Notes

Air frying the eggplant: You may have to do this in batches though. Preheat air fryer to 375F (190C), and air fry for 10-15 minutes or until caramelized.

Ingredient notes:

Sumac is a Middle Eastern spice that gives a great pop of flavor. If you can't find it, feel free to leave it out or substitute with another spice.

You can substitute labneh for sour cream or extra yogurt.

If you want to use regular eggplant: Cube the eggplant and salt with the eggplant cubes and letting them sit 15 minutes to draw out the bitterness, then using as directed in the recipe. You'll roast them for less, probably 25-30 minutes until caramelized.

Storing leftovers:

Leftover eggplant will last 2-3 days in the fridge- you can warm it slightly in the microwave or a hot oven, or eat leftovers cold.

Nutrition