Normally, this dish is made up of thick slices of eggplant, fried in olive oil and smothered in a garlicky yogurt sauce. This version used extra thin slices (I finally got the hang of the mandoline), fried in olive oil then dried up in the microwave for 30 seconds to a minute; the microwave crisps them up and the excess oil is blotted out.
The sauce is simply yogurt, with a touch of garlic paste, a mere teaspoon of pomegranate molasses and a generous tablespoon of tahini.
INGREDIENTS: 6 servings
- 4 eggplants or about 1 1/2 pounds
- Olive oil, as needed
- Salt, as needed
- For the sauce: 1 cup of yogurt
- 1 tablespoon of tahini
- 2 cloves of garlic mashed with 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a mortar till pasty
- 1 teaspoon of pomegranate molasses
- 1/4 cup of fresh pomegranates (optional)
METHOD:
- Peel the eggplants with a potato peeler; slice in very thin slices and sprinkle with salt. Let the salt drain out the bitter juices for at least 30 minutes. Pat them dry and fry in some olive oil (add only as needed, 1/4 cup at a time), on both sides till browned. Pat dry and microwave for 30 seconds, and maybe another 30 seconds if they are not crisp yet. Doing this step in batches is easier.
- Prepare the sauce by mixing all the ingredients; serve with the sauce as a dip.
20 Comments
Very nice look with the pomegranates – Did you use the Asian eggplants?
I have never had a chip made from eggplant…sounds interesting! They look so crisp. Will have to give these a try!
@T.W: I used the small ones I find at the Middle-Eastern grocer. I will post a photo of them.
Simply brilliant and most likely addictive!
That is a wonderful starter dish! I really love the eggplant chips.
Cheers,
Rosa
Such a clever way to use eggplant! I’ll have to give these a go!
super bonne idée l’astuce du micro onde !! j’adore les petits grains de grenade c’est la cerise sur le gâteau!! merci Joumana!!
Chips looks extremely interesting and crispy,delicious creamy sauce..
We prepare something similar to this.Its called raita here[http://seduceyourtastebuds.blogspot.com/2010/09/baingan-ka-raita-brinjal-raita.html]which goes well as a side dish to Indian flavored rice dishes.The idea of making chips is really fantastic.It looks so tempting and the clicks are yum….I must try this one soon….
Awesome idea. I ate lots of fried eggplant when I was in Greece in July and loved it, especially when they sliced it thin.
Yummy! Again!
Sounds fantastic… I wonder if I can fool my kids
I love turning vegetables into chips. The addition of the pomegranate is lovely – pretty and sweet-tart!
Nice — and different — appetizer.
I really like this, it reminds me of an Ottolenghi dish I’ve seen. THe pomegranate looks so pretty, like little jewels!
*kisses* HH
i’m half egyptian to this post excites me a little too much. i’m so hungry now! mmm, eggplant and tahina.
This is something new to me and it sounds like a nice variation of fritters. That’s lovable.
I have an eggplant in my refrigerator and would like to try this out!
I love my mandolin. I use it even more than I expected. Will be giving this a try.
J’adore cette idée avec ces chips croustillantes et originales, bises