Ingredients (2 servings, as a part of a mezze selection):
- 1 eggplant, cut in half crosswise and sliced into 0.5cm thick slices
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt
- pepper
for the garlic oil:
- 4 cloves of garlic, pealed
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp chili flakes
- 1 tsp maple syrup (alt. honey)
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
for the curd:
- 100 g curd/jogurt, (alt. vegan jogurt)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- salt
- pepper
for garnish:
- pumpkin seeds, roasted
- basil leaves, fresh
- mint leaves, fresh
- pomegranate seed
- some lemon zest and lemon juice
- pepper, freshly ground
- Preheat the oven to 200ºC top/bottom heat.
- Place garlic cloves in a small ovenproof dish with the 4 tablespoons olive oil and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until garlic begins to color.
- In a large bowl, mix eggplant slices with olive oil, plenty of salt and pepper. Place slices one at a time on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, making sure they do not overlap. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, turning halfway through.
- For the curd, mix all the ingredients in a bowl, season to taste and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Once the garlic has finished roasting in the oven (don’t discard the oil), chop into small pieces and return to the hot oil from the oven. Add chili flakes, maple syrup, lemon juice, white wine vinegar and salt and mix well.
- Once the eggplant slices are done roasting, remove from the oven.
- Spread the curd thinly on a large platter, arrange the eggplant slices on top and drizzle with garlic paste. Lastly, garnish with pumpkin seeds, fresh herbs, pomegranate seeds, some lemon zest, lemon juice and freshly ground pepper. Serve immediately.
