Middle East, Caucasus, Africa Baba ghanoush (
bābā ghanūj) is a popular
Levantine dish of eggplant (aubergine) mashed and mixed with various seasonings. Frequently the eggplant is baked or broiled over an open flame before peeling, so that the pulp is soft and has a smoky taste. Baba ghanoush is usually eaten as a dip with
pita bread, and is sometimes added to other dishes. It is usually of an earthy light brown color. In
Ethiopia, this dish is commonly known as
blagadoush. Similar to baba ghanoush is another Levantine dish,
mutabbal (lit. 'spiced'), which also includes mashed cooked aubergines and
tahini, and mixed with salt,
black pepper,
olive oil, and
anar seeds. Mutabbal is sometimes said to be a spicier version of baba ghanoush. In
Armenia, the dish is known as
mutabal. The essential ingredients in Armenian mutabal are eggplant, tahini, garlic, lemon, and onion; most Armenians also add
cumin.
Georgian badrijnis khizilala ("aubergine caviar") is made of fried and chopped eggplants. Further typical ingredients are onions, garlic,
pomegranate, hot red pepper, vegetable oil and fresh green
cilantro. In
Israel, the traditional version called
salat ḥatzilim is made with mashed grilled aubergines, tahini, olive oil, lemon, garlic and parsley. A variation made with
mayonnaise instead of tahini, called ''salat ḥatzilim b'mayonnaise'', is also widely available. In
Morocco, a fried eggplant dish made with tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, cumin, paprika and parsley is called
zaalouk. Eggplant relish is a Middle Eastern-north African dish. It is made of eggplant, salt, olive oil, lemon, and
parsley. In
Egypt,
papa ghannug is made of grilled and then peeled eggplant with tahini, water, salt, pepper, lemon, and parsley.
Papa ghannug is eaten with bread. In
Iranian cuisine, eggplant is prepared into an appetizer known as
kashk bademjan and
mirza ghasemi. It is made with whey sauce (
kashk).
Balkans and Eastern Europe In
Greece and
Cyprus,
melitzanosalata (μελιτζανοσαλάτα; "eggplant salad") is made with
olive oil and
lemon juice. Other ingredients typically include garlic, onion, and parsley. Sometimes spices like cumin and red pepper flakes are added. Garnishes may include feta cheese or olives. In
Turkish cuisine,
İmam bayıldı is an eggplant stew, commonly prepared with olive oil, onions and tomatoes. The dish is known in Greece as Ιμάμ μπαϊλντί (Imam bayildi) or just
imam.
Malidzano, a traditional
Macedonian spread, is made from puréed
eggplants,
sirenje cheese,
walnuts and
spices. It is usually served as
appetizer along with
bread. In other countries of Western Balkans (Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia) it is prepared from green peppers and eggplant.
Salată de vinete (Eggplant salad) or simply
vinete is a
Romanian,
Moldovan and
Hungarian mashed eggplant salad made of grilled, peeled and finely chopped eggplants,
sunflower oil and chopped
onions. The eggplants are grilled on an open flame until they are covered with black ash crust. The crust is cleaned off and the remaining cooked eggplant is mashed with a blunt, thick wooden cleaver (knife) on a wooden platter (popular belief has it that using a metal knife will turn the eggplant flesh black, before stainless steel blades, but also because cutting through the seeds is to be avoided). The eggplant mash is mixed in a bowl, stirring continuously, with sunflower oil, chopped onions and
salt. The mix is beaten vigorously. Crushed garlic and ground pepper may be added too. Instead of oil,
mayonnaise can be used, although not traditionally. A zest of lemon is added at the end and the platter is sometimes garnished with tomato slices. A typical
zakuska in
Russia and
Ukraine (especially
Odesa) is known as
baklažannaja ikra () or
baklažanna ikra (), literally meaning "aubergine caviar". Some versions add chopped
tomatoes to the basic recipe. Another eggplant salad popular in Russia is called
he iz baklažanov (), and it is probably influenced by
Korean cuisine. Eggplant
he is based on
julienned (instead of mashed) cooked aubergines and other vegetables, prepared with concentrated vinegar. After adding the vinegar, it is set aside for several hours to cure before eating. In
Turkey, a similar
meze is called
patlıcan salatası ("eggplant salad"). It is made with grilled mashed eggplant, olive oil, lemon juice and garlic; sometimes, tahini, chopped tomato and green pepper as well. More frequently, eggplant is mixed with yoghurt, olive oil and garlic. The version with cut eggplants can be found in southern Turkey, especially in
Antakya. In other varieties, called
şakşuka or
köpoğlu, roasted and chopped eggplants and peppers are served with garlic yogurt or tomato sauce. The latter is also a typical eggplant appetizer in
Bulgaria, where it is called
kyopolou.
Hünkarbeğendi is another Turkish dish, which is a
mutton or lamb (nowadays also
veal) stew where the meat is served hot on a bed of eggplant
purée. The purée also contains
kaşar cheese, milk and flour.
South Asia In
Indian and
Pakistani cuisine, an eggplant dish, by the name of
baingan bartha, is popular especially in the regions of
Punjab,
Maharashtra,
Bihar,
Orissa and
West Bengal. It is also eaten across Pakistan, as well as in
Bangladesh. The dish has many names, depending on the local language (
Hindi:
baingan ka bharta,
begun bhôrta,
Marathi:
wangyacha bharit). In the
South Indian state of
Tamil Nadu, the
Tamils prepare
kathrikai thayir kothsu, in which the eggplant is cooked, mashed and sautéed with
mustard, red
chili peppers, and sesame oil, after which yogurt is added to the mixture and dressed with
cilantro coriander leaves. It is often eaten with an Indian flatbread (specifically
roti or
paratha), and is also served with
rice, and/or
raita (a yoghurt salad). Kashmiris prepare a spicy and tangy dish of eggplants called with
tamarind constituting an important part of the gravy.
East and Southeast Asia Eggplant mud (茄泥) is a
Chinese recipe of steamed and mashed eggplant. It is served with dressings such as pounded garlic with soy sauce. In
Sichuan cuisine many people also like to add hot peppers and cilantro. It is a common lunch dish and may be eaten with rice or rolls. Mashed eggplant is also part of
Hmong cuisine and it contains hot peppers and cilantro. In Korea, steamed or poached strips of eggplant seasoned with garlic, toasted sesame oil and chili is a common side dish called 가지나물 (gaji namul, literally “eggplant salad.”)
Western Europe and Latin America ''Caviar d'aubergine'' is prepared in southern
France. Baked, peeled aubergine is mixed with garlic, tomato, parsley, lemon juice, and finally olive oil. It is served as an appetizer with French bread, possibly along with olive
tapenade.
Caponata is a
Sicilian eggplant relish made from chopped fried vegetables (mostly eggplants and peppers), seasoned with celery, olives and capers, in a sweet sour sauce. Today, caponata is typically used as a side dish or appetizer, but, since the 18th century, it has sometimes been used as a main course.
Berenjena a la vinagreta is a typical appetizer in
Hispanosphere made from boiled eggplants in a vinaigrette. The eggplant is usually salted to remove moisture then boiled until soft and then placed into a vinaigrette with garlic and various herbs or spices. In
Argentina the eggplants will rest in the vinaigrette, often containing plenty of oil, for several days and then is eaten as part of a picada before a meal. In
Spain, it can be found along other
pinchos at
tapas bars. In
Catalonia region, eggplant is roasted and seasoned with olive oil in the dish
escalivada. ==See also==