The eggplant is one of the most versatile vegetables which can be experimented with many flavours. My favourite type of eggplant is with Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flavours – what I grew up on. To truly enjoy a good eggplant dish you must have one slathered in good olive oil, garlic, olives and herbs. Simple cooking, tons of flavour and fresh ingredients.
This is a Middle Eastern inspired sandwich, with grilled eggplants, smothered in some spicy-garlicky tahini sauce, topped with walnuts, sumac and za’atar. It’s an open sandwich, for which I used whole-wheat sourdough bread, but this will taste good on any kind of bread – white, brown, baguette, sandwich bread, focaccia, pita… I mean, it’s bread, they’re all amazing 
P.S. These go perfectly with black tea and lemon.
The Recipe
Serves 1
Ingredients
- 10 eggplant slices, medium
- 1 tsp garlic, minced
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp za'atar
- 1 tsp sumac
- 4-5 walnuts, chopped
- 1/2 cup mint leaves
- 1/4 cup sesame seeds
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 green chilli
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp thick yogurt
Instructions
- Heat a non-stick pan on high heat.
- Turn off the heat and place the sesame seeds to toast.
- Remove the seeds and place into a mixer.
- Add the garlic and green chilli and pulse the mixture down. Gradually add the olive oil to make the paste as your pulsing. Then stir in the salt and yogurt.
- Place in the fridge until ready to use.
- Soak the eggplant slices in salted water until ready to grill.
- Brush the eggplant slices with olive oil and some minced garlic.
- Place on the pan, sprinkle some salt, and cook for 10-15 minutes on each side, or until they are well grilled.
- Meanwhile, place the bread on a hot pan to toast both sides.
- Spread some of the tahini on the toasts, followed by some mint leaves.
- Arrange 5 slices of eggplants on top, drizzle some more tahini and sprinkle sumac and za’atar on top followed by walnuts.
