Going through my eggplant (and middle eastern inspired) phase. In my opinion, nothing pairs more harmoniously with eggplant than the creaminess of rich tahini. Seeing I still had a carton of buttermilk sitting in my fridge waiting to expire, I decided to put it to good use to create a tahini-buttermilk sauce to dress some baked eggplants rounds. For those who want a more substantial dinner (i.e. some meat) for dinner as well, the best way to complement this tahini dressed eggplant side dish quickly is by grilling some rosemary lamb chop(s). Mmm…just writing this at midnight is making me hungry!Â
NB: You can adjust the thickness of this tahini-buttermilk dressing by tinkering with the wet ingredients (and can even transform it into a creamy spread that pairs beautifully with sourdough/rye toast).
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 large long eggplant, cut into rounds
- A few fresh mint leaves, diced or shredded
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- Pepper and salt, to taste
- Olive oil
SAUCE:
- 3 tablespoon tahini
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon water
- 2 tablespoon buttermilk
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin powder
- Pinch of salt
1) Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius.
2) Cut eggplant into rounds, approximately 1/2 inch thick. Layer eggplants on a roasting tray lined with parchment paper or foil. Spray or brush olive oil on the rounds. Sprinkle dried thyme, crushed black pepper and salt.
3) Roast for ~ 20 minutes until eggplant rounds are nicely browned. Keep warm.
4) Make the tahini dressing. Combine all the sauce ingredients listed above into a bowl and whisk until smooth.
5) Drizzle the tahini sauce on top of the freshly baked eggplant. Garnish with freshly diced or shredded mint so that the colours pop. Serve as a side.
