I love cooking outdoors! One of the highlights of my summer has always been firing up my electric smoker, or using my Texas barrel as a “wood oven.” I have cooked just about everything imaginable outdoors, from pizza to smoked peaches. Grilling, smoking, and barbecuing doesn’t have to be reserved for meat. There are a lot of plant foods that do extremely well on the grill. This recipe for grilled eggplant is my favorite way to just grab an eggplant from my garden and quickly turn it into a featured grill item. If you can mix a few spices together, you can easily prepare this dish. The buttery flavor from the natural oils of the roasted eggplant along with tomato and the tahini is heaven when eaten! You can even prepare this on your stovetop griddle or in a grill pan.
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Serves 2-4 2 large Japanese eggplant 2 tomatoes Olive oil for brushing Prepared tahini Salt to taste Moroccan Spice: 1 tsp. ground ginger 1 tsp. coriander1/2 tsp. white pepper 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. ground allspice 1/4 tsp. turmeric
Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise, and discard the top end with the stem by either cutting it of or pulling it off gently. Cut the tomatoes in half as well. Mix all the dried spices in a small bowl to make your Moroccan spice. Lightly brush the open sides of the eggplant and tomatoes with olive oil, then generously sprinkle the Moroccan spice over them. Place the eggplant and tomato cut side down on a warm bbq grill or stovetop grill or griddle. When they start to soften, turn them over and cook the back sides until all the eggplant and tomatoes are soft and cooked through to the touch. Taste for salt if needed. Transfer to a serving platter and drizzle the tahini over the eggplant and tomatoes using a squeeze bottle, a pastry bag, or a plastic bag with the corner pierced. I enjoyed this served over aromatic steamed black rice, and it made a delicious, completely satisfying entree.
moroccan spiced eggplant & tomato with tahini
Ingredients
- 2 large japanese eggplant
- 2 tomatoes
- olive oil for brushing
- Prepared tahini
- salt to taste
- Moroccan Spice:
- 1 tsp. ground ginger
- 1 tsp. coriander
- 1/2 tsp. white pepper
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. ground allspice
- 1/4 tsp. turmeric
Instructions
- Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise, and discard the top end with the stem by either cutting it of or pulling it off gently.
- Cut the tomatoes in half as well.
- Mix all the dried spices in a small bowl to make your Moroccan spice.
- Lightly brush the open sides of the eggplant and tomatoes with olive oil, then generously sprinkle the Moroccan spice over them.
- Place the eggplant and tomato cut side down on a warm bbq grill or stovetop grill or griddle. When they start to soften, turn them over and cook the back sides until all the eggplant and tomatoes are soft and cooked through to the touch.
- Taste for salt if needed. Transfer to a serving platter and drizzle the tahini over the eggplant and tomatoes using a squeeze bottle, a pastry bag, or a plastic bag with the corner pierced. I enjoyed this served over aromatic steamed black rice, and it made a delicious, completely satisfying entree.