A veggie dish inspired by Middle Eastern flavours that’s smart enough for guests.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 brinjals, halved lengthways, flesh scored in a criss-cross pattern
- 2 pitta breads
- 1 tbsp white miso
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1⁄4 tsp chilli flakes
- For the salad:
- 2 baby gem lettuce, trimmed and shredded
- 1⁄2 cucumber, deseeded and cut into half moons
- 250 g cherry tomatoes, quartered
- Bunch spring onions, trimmed and thinly sliced
- 150 g radishes, trimmed and quartered
- 15 g mint, roughly chopped
- 25 g parsley, roughly chopped
- 2 tsp sumac, plus extra for sprinkling on top (find it in the spice aisle)
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- For the dressing:
- 3 tbsp tahini
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- Juice 1⁄2 lemon
Instructions
1 Heat/light a braai or grill tona high heat. Brush 1 tbsp oil all over the brinjals. Put them skin side down on (or under) the grill and cook for 10 min. Meanwhile, put all the salad ingredients in a large bowl and season, tossing to combine.
2 Carefully turn the brinjals, put the pittas on/under the grill, and cook for 5 min, moving the brinjals often to ensure they don’t stick to the grill. Once the brinjals are charred and tender, and the pittas are crisp, remove from the heat.
3 In a small bowl, mix the miso, maple syrup, chilli flakes and remaining oil. Brush the miso mixture over the flesh side of the warm brinjals.
4 Combine all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl, season with salt and loosen with a splash of water to form a sauce that you can drizzle.
5 Serve the salad on one large platter or individual plates, then tear the pittas into small chunks and scatter over the salad. Put the brinjals on top and drizzle with the tahini dressing.
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Feature Image: W&H
