I confess I have never been a religious person; this has all changed when I started driving in Lebanon; suddenly, I find myself invoking God several times a day and muttering mini-prayers while on the road.
Sure, the highway has lanes: nobody seems to notice; turn signals are useless, people cut in front of you if you leave half-an-inch of space between your car and theirs; narrow mountain roads with blind turns are when a Lebanese driver will pop up at record-breaking speed with no warning.
Why dwell on a fact of life in Lebanon that is a negative, when there are so many positives, like the fact that I had this delicious eggplant salad on the beach the other day?
Al raheb in Arabic means the monk; presumably named after the monks that would make it from the vegetables in their garden; this version uses pomegranate molasses in the dressing, but can be substituted with balsamic vinegar or lemon juice.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 large eggplant, roasted over a flame or in the oven till skin is blackened, then peeled and drained and cut in dice.
- 2 large mountain tomatoes or heirloom tomatoes
- 1 medium white onion or several spring onions
- several tablespoons of chopped parsley
- 1 or more cucumbers, diced (optional)
- 1 green pepper, diced (optional)
Dressing:
- One or more tablespoons of pomegranate molasses mixed with double the volume of olive oil; add a clove or two of garlic mashed with a dash of salt.
For another recipe on this eggplant salad, click here.
27 Comments
I love eggplant……this salad looks fantastic!
Drive carefully this summer!!!
Cook dangerously and drive safely! (Although it’s safe to say that anything with roasted eggplant in it will be delicious.)
I love eggplant and can’t wait to try this salad! Stay safe!
I am flying with you! You have no idea what your blog has meant to me. Love the recipes, but love even more the stories.
Sorry I can’t write every day, I’m dealing with a very painful tendinitis in both hands, dr. says NO typing for some time. Big hug!
A fantastic salad! Just what I like. That building is beautiful!
Cheers,
Rosa
Such delicious salad can not be ignore!
Even though my hubby doesn’t like eggplant I’m making this lovely dish for me! Eggplant is one of my favorites and I’m still hoping to one day convert him to an eggplant-lover!
The driving sounds scary but the food wonderful! Be safe and eat well (I know you are doing just that).
I don’t blame you – I love eggplant, it made me happy every time I ate it in Greece, which was almost every day!
I’m so making this! Be careful.
Ha..ha..Joumana – Seems to me like driving in Lebanon is the same as driving in Mumbai. Only way for me to suvive in the passenger seat is to tightly shut my eyes!
The eggplant salad is WONDERFUL! I can never get over what fresh, earthy flavors make up your cuisine
Ciao, Devaki @ weavethousandflavors
This salad has personality, and the flavors of summer. The pomegranate molasses gives freshness, and brightens to the salad. You get the taste of the grill from the chard eggplant, that’s what gets it for me the smokey flavor it’s unique. I love cooking with vegetables from my garden, it’s organic and very nourishing.
very interesting….i have not used eggplants this way…sounds really good..
with a new found appreciation for eggplants I am super curious about its various characteristics. It is so versatile and forgiving. i would eat this in a heartbeat!
Ahahaha, driving in Thailand converted me to religion too ;P
Kind of like babaghanosh. Great dip! Thanks for sharing!
That eggplant salad sounds so fresh and delicious. Another one bookmarked. I’d be a nervous wreck if I were on those streets with drivers like that.
Interesting salad..
Flavorful eggplant salads are just the best!
This recipe surprises me to note the similarity of a kind from my home state in India. We do the same thing the same way; cilantro instead of parsley, no pom molasses but use mustard oil. This is usually eaten with a flat bread on the side. Amazing! I have the pomegranate molasses, next time I make this I will make this kind.
This sounds perfect and will bookmark for when my eggplants come in next month (they are about 1 inch long). Love the tomatoes mixed in.
this sounds like a really fresh and satisfying thing to eat, and it’s lovely to see.
Hahaha you are so right!!
I love this salad. Fresh an yummy!
I came back to gawk at this beautiful salad I’m going to make!
Eggplant and tomatoes are in the garden so this will be easy to make.
Mimi
I love roasted eggplant and just discovered pomegranate molasses. It really sounds like a perfect first course.
Can you tell I love middle eastern food? I’m book-marking this one.
Pam
And I had been thinking today: what will I do with the eggplant I just got at the farmers market? And now I know.
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[...] items on my to cook list are; potato “risotto” with smoked mackerel,a Lebanese aubergine salad, and some chocolate puddle [...]