Make Ahead

Eggplant Salad (AKA Zahlouk, or Poor Man's Caviar)

by:
September 28, 2010
4
1 Ratings
  • Serves 6 as a salad appetizer
Author Notes

This is a middle Eastern Recipe. I first tasted it in Morocco when I was 16. I loved it at first bite, and now it has become a staple in my kitchen. I eat it for breakfast, lunch, and an appetizer. I can't get enough of it! You can vary it by adding peppers, summer squash, or even a few grated carrots. I've added a few chopped olives as well. More olives will remind you of a Tapenade. Enjoy! —zuliebear

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 large eggplant, chopped in cubes
  • 3 tablespoons Olive Oil (EVOO)
  • 5 Unpeeled, chopped tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic or garlic powder
  • 6 tablespoons Ground Cumin
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
Directions
  1. Saute your eggplant cubes in olive oil until soft on low heat. Do not allow it to burn. You may need to add a bit of water now and then. Watch it closely. Add the unpeeled chopped tomatoes and the minced garlic if you are using it. Cook until the eggplant and tomatoes are tender. Mash with a ricer. Add the garlic powder here if using it instead of the minced garlic. Sprinkle with the Cumin and salt and pepper to taste. The mixture should be moist, but holding it's shape. It should not be watery. Add a touch of water if it is too dry. Cook a little longer if it is weepy. You can serve this warm or cold as a salad, an appetizer with chips or pita bread, as a sandwich filler, or as a dollop with sour cream in soup! In Morocco, they scoop it up with bread as a salad course. YUMMY stuff!
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2 Reviews

learnhowtocook
learnhowtocook September 10, 2014
Soooooo good! Thank you for sharing this!
 
zuliebear
zuliebear September 28, 2010
Eggplant is a misunderstood vegetable. Most people hate it because it starts out looking an alien purple. Give this recipe a try. It's fantastic. Everyone who tastes it loves it, and cannot believe it's Eggplant!

Be sure to PEEL the eggplant before you cook it.

Hint: I use a lot of home grown eggplant, and it is never bitter. If you find that your store bought eggplant is bitter, peel it, then sprinkle it with lots of salt. The salt will pull the bitterness out of it. Rinse it after about a half an hour, and then proceed with the recipe above.