Recipe for Mashed Eggplant, Tomato and Garlic Salad

Tag : chopped peeled tomato

This simple blend of steamed eggplant and simmered tomatoes fromMorocco is great warmed or chilled. The flavors become more intenseis allowed to stand an hour before serving. Serve it as a dip withflatbread or over rice and chicken.

Start to finish: 1 1/2 hours (45 minutes active)
Servings: 4
2 large eggplants
Sea salt
3 large tomatoes
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
Leaves from 1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon white pepper
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
Squeeze lemon juice
Extra-virgin olive oil, to drizzle
Trim the ends off each eggplant. One at a time, stand each eggplanton end and use a vegetable peeler to remove lengthwise strips ofskin, skipping every other strip (creating vertical stripes).
Chop the eggplants into chunks, then transfer to a colander andsprinkle generously with salt. Set the colander over a bowl or sinkand let drain 30 minutes. Rinse the eggplant of excess salt, thenpat dry with paper towels.
Fill a medium saucepan fitted with a steamer basket with 1 inch ofwater. Bring to a boil. Place the eggplant in the steamer basket,cover and steam for 15 minutes.