Yemenite Eggplant Salad

[MustLose80]

Ok, ok....I can't go any longer without posting a recipe. I am on an eggplant craze. Part of my heritage is Yemenite Jew, along with Irish and Cherokee...go figure. Some of my most favorite recipes are Yemenite. I didn't grow up with any because the Yemenite women didn't travel to the US with two brothers, one of which was my great great grandfather and that was only in the early last century. Anyway, I discovered foods of my heritage and this is one of my favorites.

I serve this with lamb that has been roasted with corriander seeds, grated onion and garlic and stuffed with mint leaves.



2 large eggplants, or 6-8 Japanese
1 cup chopped tomato
1/2 cup tomato puree, fresh or canned, or a rounded T of paste
4-6 cloves minced garlic
1/2 T freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
*******1 T zhoug, or the milder condiment, shatta (these are basically hot Yemenite salsas (or hot chile sauces). I will post a recipe if anyone is interested, but instead, I will continue ingredients so that a separate salsa does not have to be made)

1 fresh red Thai chile ground to a paste, or minced fine (*use gloves*)

1/2 c chopped fresh Italian flat leaf parsley

1 c chopped fresh cilantro

1-2 t cumin powder

2T extra virgin olive oil



Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Bake the eggplant until it is very soft, about 35 minutes.

Peel and cool. mash the eggplant pulp amd mix with the choppped
tomato. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.



This is more the hardcore version, but in Israel today, many women add 1/2 c to 1 c of mayonaise and may use a milder chile, like jalapeno. I love it with the mayonaise and always use it. I may use any chile I have on hand. This is unbelievable with the lamb chopped and both wrapped in a pita, but I am going to make this and use the Revolution wraps. My stomach is growling for it now!