Healthy Recipes/ Recipes/ Travel/ Travel-Inspired Recipes/ Vegan/ Vegetables

Smokey Eggplant with Lemon & Tahini

Fire-roasted eggplant with lemon + tahini, kind of like baba ganoush but better!

During my days in Tel Aviv, an afternoon at Irit’s was quite the treat. For starters, when I began my internship it was very difficult for me to find Irit’s little restaurant. It was located down one of the many alleyways off of Shuk HaCarmel in the heart of Tel Aviv, which made stumbling upon it even more special. I wrote a beautiful piece about my memories of a time when I accidentally stumbled upon her little five-table place, or maybe it was fate. I feel blessed to have met Irit; she’s a rambunctious and clever woman who keeps you on your feet – whether it’s by flipping eggplant over a flame, or trying to convince you that Tel Aviv is where the action is and that you should never leave.

Tel Aviv takes up a fair-sized chunk of my heart. I often dream that I am in the city again, and in my dreams I always have some sort of mission – nine times out of ten, that mission is to find some specific restaurant that I frequented during my time there. The most common eateries that reappear in my dreams include a tiny falafel shop around the corner from my old apartment, Miznon, and Irit’s. Even if I can’t wander through the shuk and end up at her door to squeeze some fresh orange juice and watch her make lachoch and fire-scortched eggplant, at least I brought one of her recipes home with me.

Irit’s Smokey Eggplant with Lemon and Tahini

Print Recipe

Serves: 1-2 Cooking Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

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1 Eggplant
A sprinkle of sea salt
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 Clove of garlic, finely grated
Freshly prepared tahini
Parsley, for garnish
Optional: fresh oregano

Instructions

Wash and dry the eggplant. If using a gas stove, light your burner and place a metal grill rack on top of the flame. Put the flame on the lowest setting. If using a grill, light it on high. Place the eggplant on top of the flame and turn occasionally until the outside of the eggplant is very charred and crispy and the inside is very soft.

Meanwhile, grate 1 garlic clove and juice half of a lemon and set aside.

Once the eggplant is done, transfer it to a plate. Using a small knife, carefully remove the blackened skin from the eggplant. Leaving very small bits and pieces of the charred skin enhances the flavor, so don't worry about perfection.

Massage the eggplant with a generous pinch of salt and grated garlic. Then top with lemon juice and a spoonful of tahini and fresh parsley leaves. If using oregano, add it as well. Serve alone* or alongside pita bread or lachoch to soak up all of the smokey, fragrant juices.

If you have leftovers, blend them to make a smokey eggplant dip or spread. This is a great topping for toast or flatbread.

Notes

To achieve the flavor of this dish you need to have a flame. Irit uses a gas stove on low heat along with a metal basket to separate the eggplant from the actual stovetop. You can also use a grill, although real fire yields the best flavor. Alternative serving suggestion: whip all ingredients for a smokey eggplant dip.