Eggplant salads and appetizers

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Syrian style Baba ghanoush

Eggplant salads and appetizers are the salads and appetizers made primarily of eggplants (aubergines). There is variety of such dishes throughout the cuisines of different regions and countries of the world.

Variety

Baba ganouj is a popular traditional dish in the cuisines of some parts of the Levant and North Africa. It is made primarily of aubergine, previously chargrilled as a whole vegetable, then peeled, mashed, and mixed with various seasonings, such as tahini, olive oil and lemon juice.

Similar to baba ganouj is a Syrian, Lebanese and Palestinian dish mutabbel, which also includes mashed cooked aubergines and tahini. In Armenia the dish is known as mutabal. The essential ingredients in Armenian mutabal are considered to be eggplant, tahini, garlic, lemon, and onion, and most Armenians also add cumin as a spice.

In Turkey, the dish is commonly known as patlıcan salatası (eggplant salad). However, a variety of eggplant salads can be tasted in Turkey. Sometimes it is prepared with grilled eggplant, olive oil, lemon juice and garlic. Tahini, chopped tomato and green pepper can be added as well. More frequently, eggplant is mixed with yoghurt, olive oil and garlic. Patlıcan beğendi is a similar course which is served hot with meat and it includes cheese, milk and flour. [1]

In Greece, melitzanosalata is made with olive oil and lemon juice.[2][3]

In Romania, salată de vinete is made with oven roasted aubergine peeled, drained for some hours, and then mashed (not blended) together with oil, usually sunflower, chopped raw onion, salt and pepper. Instead of oil, mayonnaise can be used.

In Russia and Ukraine, a category of similar dishes is known as baklazhannaya ikra (Russian: баклажанная икра, literally "eggplant pâté" (Note that "ikra" in this context means "puree", mashed "ragout" or "pâté" rather than the homonym "caviar") and some versions add chopped tomatoes to the basic recipe.[4]. Another eggplant salad popular in Russia is called kh'e iz baklazhanov (russian: хе из баклажанов, and it is probably influenced by korean cuisine). Eggplant kh'e is based on julienned (instead of mashed) cooked aubergines and other vegetables, prepared with concentrated vinegar. It should be set aside for several hours after adding the vingar until it will be ready to eat.

In Ethiopia, the eggplant dish is more commonly known as blagadoush.

In Orissa, state of India and Bangladesh a similar dish is prepared commonly known as baingan bharta in which fresh coriander leaves are used instead of parsley along with onion and oil.[5]

In Maharashtra state of India a similar dish is prepared commonly known as wangyacha bharit. The garnishing used for this dish includes green chillies, onions, coriander leaves and oil.

In Tamil Nadu The Tamils prepare a similar dish called Kathrikai Thayir Kothsu: eggplant is cooked and mashed and sauted with mustard, red chiles, sesame oil and curd is added to the mixture and dressed with coriander leaves.

In Afganistan a traditional eggplant salad is called bonjan salad.

In Bulgaria a typical eggplant appetizer is Kyopolou, it is made with roasted aubergines and red peppers.

References

^ Algar, A.E. - The Complete Book of Turkish Cooking - Kegan Paul (1985) ISBN 0-7103-0334-3
^ Milona, M. - Culinaria Greece - Könemann (2004) ISBN 3-8331-1053-8
^ Salaman, R. - The Complete Book of Greek Cooking - Anness (2006) ISBN 0-681-18670-4
^ Russian Cooking (Foods of the World) - Time-Life Books (1969)
^ Jaffrey, M. - World of the East Vegetarian Cooking - Knopf (1983) ISBN 0-394-40271-5