Eggplant Tostada

May 14, 2010  •  Category:

 

I switched from eggplant fattoush,a  salad  from our sister city, Damascus (Syria), to an eggplant tostada. Instead of making pita croutons and frying them, I figured I would save  time and effort and present the eggplant salad on a pita, grilled instead of fried. A sprinkle of halloumi (or other) cheese, not traditional, but needed to beef up this light meal.


The difference between the Syrian version and ours is that they use pomegranate molasses and we use sumac. Yummy either way.

INGREDIENTS: 2 servings

  • 1 large eggplant, peeled, sliced and sprinkled with salt and left to drain in a sieve over a bowl.
  • a handful of parsley, chopped or a few basil leaves, torn
  • 1 small green pepper
  • 2 or 3 green onions
  • 1 large organic tomato, seeded and cut in dice
  • 2/3 cup grated Halloumi cheese (or any other grilling cheese)
  • 1  (at least day-old) pita bread, split open
  • DRESSING: 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1/2  tablespoon of pomegranate molasses, 1/2  tablespoon of lemon juice, salt, pepper

METHOD:

  1. Can be done earlier that day: rinse and dry the eggplant slices; cut in dice. Heat some olive oil in a skillet and fry the eggplant for 10 minutes or so until they are golden all over.

  1. Drain on paper towels and set aside. Split the pita open and brush it with a cloud of olive oil. Place on a cookie sheet lined with foil.  Toast for about 7 minutes until crispy but not brown.
  2. Sprinkle the eggplants on top, then the onion, tomatoes, green pepper and cheese.
  3. Broil (or toast some more) for about 3 minutes, watching it to make sure it does not burn. Pull it out of the oven, sprinkle with basil or parsley, the dressing and serve immediately.

NOTE: if you don’t have any pomegranate molasses, use sumac instead and more lemon.

Comments

69 Comments  •  Comments Feed

  1. Sue says:

    This looks delicious! I think it’s so smart to mix the ingredients you have on hand with the ones that you like the most – sumac and grilled halloumi. I would really love a bite. I guess I’ll have to make it myself. 🙂

  2. XiaoYen says:

    This looks so healthy and delicious. I’m not so sure if I can find promegranate molasses though.

  3. Rosa says:

    That looks incredibly good! I love the idea!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

  4. aqua says:

    This looks so delicious! You’ve just given me a great idea to use up leftover chapatis.

  5. Claudia says:

    This is scrumptioous – the eggplant, the cheese, the pomegranate molasses – just a beautiful winning combination.

  6. KennyT says:

    This is amazing! I enjoy reading your posts and it’s a great chance for me to know more about your country and culture. Thanks!

  7. Marie says:

    I have that exact pom molasses, never even opened it yet! I love coming here!

  8. Geetika says:

    That looks delicious! 🙂

  9. Grapefruit says:

    What a great twist on a fattoush salad (which I love, second only to tabbouleh)! Love it! Thanks for the inspiration.

  10. sweetlife says:

    this looks amazing, i love any kind of tostada…but with eggplant yum!!

    sweetlife

  11. Toni says:

    Oh my…I think I just discovered my new favorite dish! Personally, I’d love to try it both ways – with sumac and with pomegranate molasses.

  12. Cherine says:

    This looks absolutely yummy!!!

  13. 3hungrytummies says:

    It looks fantastic! I just got a book on Lebanese cooking and I am loving it! 🙂

  14. Sushma Mallya says:

    so lovely & delicious tostado

  15. meredith says:

    That looks so good!

  16. nisha says:

    i have a large egg plant with me and i ahve no clue what to do with it…my husband and myself are not big fans of egg plant but curiosity got the better of me and i wanted 2 give it a shot…instead of doing something Indian, this looks like a more interesting recipe…

  17. Ilse says:

    Not very familiar with Lebanese cooking but it all looks very scrumptious – will have to try them!

  18. deana says:

    I love pomegranate molasses… my favorite thing is merguez with mint and that molasses… oh my. I did have an eggplant salad once with the molasses and mint and pomegranate seeds… to die for as I believe this will be. Interesting to know the difference in Syria and Lebanon!

  19. Not Quite Nigella says:

    What a great recipe-I have so much pomegranate molasses too! 😀

  20. Joan Nova says:

    Nice topping combination. I do these little pizzettes frequently. I satisfy a longing for pizza with less calories than more traditional denser pizzas.

  21. Suman says:

    thats so healthy looking tostada…love egg plants..yummy…

  22. Priya says:

    Beautiful tostada, looks tooo delicious..

  23. Angie's Recipes says:

    Looks like a healthy version of veggie pizza :-)) I like the idea.

  24. TastyTrix says:

    Cool, so is this Syrian Tex Mex (Styrian?) or Lebanese Tex Mex (Texanese)? Nice invention!

  25. Stella says:

    Hey Joumana, I always see that pomegranite stuff by Cortas next to the rosewater & orange blossom water. I never really knew what to do with it. Nice, now I know at least one application…
    By the way, there is a virus going around, so forgive me if I’ve been absent. I start to look at other people’s blogs, and then I stop feeling like I’m being careless. Hope you and your blog are doing well (smile)…
    Stella

  26. Velva says:

    If we ate so fresh and healthy like this on a regular basis we would all feel good. I love eggplant and served up tostada style, with a good cheese, fresh tomato, onion, parsley and a drizzle of olive oil. Just delicious!

    This post really highlights the upcoming summer months.

  27. Daniel@CocinaSavant says:

    This tostada looks absolutely delicious. It will be the perfect dish for those nice eggplants that will be swarming the farmers market before long. I really like the thoughtful creative quality of your blog, and thanks for stopping by ours.

  28. elra says:

    what a fantastic idea of spitting the pita bread, then toasting until crispy … I like the idea a lot. Lovely topping for tostada, eggplant is our family favorite.

  29. peter says:

    The possibilities are endless here, aren’t they? The pita bread is the palate…paint it with your fridge’s leftovers and odds and ends…good things to eat!

  30. Patty Price says:

    I like this recipe and the photos, delicious combination of ingredients, eggplant is a wonderful thing!

  31. Vanessa says:

    What a fantastic idea! I love anything with eggplant and halloumi. So colourful, inspiring and wonderfully photographed by you.

  32. SYLVIA says:

    The deliciously smoky flavor of the eggplant, and tartness of the pomegranate molasses compliment each other beautifully together , since eggplant is like a sponge and absorbs a lot of oil, I always grill them to reduce the fat content. How good does this look with such a pretty combination of colors. Joumana, you know how to entertain with simplicity and style.

  33. Jennifer says:

    This does look truly delicious! Pomegranate molasses sound divine.

  34. Mathai says:

    Nice idea! thanks for sharing!

  35. Kerstin says:

    I love eggplant! This looks amazing!

  36. Katerina says:

    I love pitta bread and you can do so many combinations. What you have created has all the right ingredients for success. I like it very much

  37. Doria says:

    Très jolies photos qui mettent en appétit !
    Je te souhaite une bonne fin de soirée de ce samedi,
    Bisous, Doria

  38. Erica says:

    This looks delicious!!!We have tostadas in Colombia and they are made with green plantain and topped with different ingredients….similar to yours!!! Great pictures as usual.

  39. Soma says:

    I will call this a healthy pizza with my favorite things topped. Mmmm… and the options are endless with this kind.

  40. recettes gourmandes says:

    j’aime beaucoup ta recette surtout avec les aubergines, bravo

  41. grace says:

    i love the bits of info you offer–as someone who has loved every bite of middle eastern food she’s ever eaten, i appreciate learning the subtle differences among the cuisines of various regions. this plate of food looks terrific–i have no doubt it would also be enjoyed and devoured by me. 🙂

  42. Magdalena says:

    Joumana, I like all the ingredients, it looks very tasty; but I have never tried halloumi – that’s time to find it here ! Take care 🙂

  43. T.W. Barritt says:

    What beautiful, fresh colors! I could take a bite right out of that photo!

  44. heni says:

    Very interesting use of aubergine Joumana! I have some waiting in the fridge – i think i will try this out for lunch tomorrow!

  45. Pj says:

    that looks so colorful and delicious! i love the idea of splitting open pita breads as a base for pizza.

  46. kellypea says:

    My goodness this sounds fabulous! It’s a bit challenging to find haloumi around here but I’ve tracked it down a few times. As for the sumac, we had wild sumac growing in our backyard years ago. A fairly heady fragrance when cut. I’d love to try this recipe.

  47. Christine @ Fresh says:

    I’m always looking for ways to use eggplants. This looks like a great recipe!

  48. citronetvanille says:

    Encore un petit plat comme j’aime, avec tous ces parfums qui rappellent la Méditerranée ca sent le soleil! je ne savais pas que le haloumi pouvait etre râpé!J’adore le Sumac, mais jamais essayé la molasse de grenade. Je garde ca en tête..

  49. PJ says:

    That’s a lovely dish which i would love to try and beautiful clicks!!!

  50. pierre says:

    salut joumana
    je n’ai pas été conquis par la mélasse de grenade ; j’aime plutot la grenade toute seule !! mais ta tostade me tente bcp !! bizz de la capitale enfin sous le soleil !! Pierre

  51. Joanne says:

    I have been LOVING pomegranate molasses lately. What a fabulous dressing and a cute “mini pizza”. Err. Tostada.

  52. john@heneedsfood says:

    I’ll take any chance to use my trusty bottle of pomegranate molasses. You’ve just given me one more delicious reason to pop that cap!

  53. El says:

    This is a fabulous combination of flavors and it’s so elegantly presented. I am bookmarking this page so that I can make it when the fresh eggplant hits the farmers markets. Gorgeous!

  54. Jen_from_NJ says:

    I adore eggplant so this is a must try for me. Looks delicious!

  55. Faith says:

    This tostada looks like the perfect use for eggplant! The pomegranate molasses sounds delicious in this recipe.

  56. courtney aka glamah says:

    Great tip about the sumac sub for the pomegranate molasses. I wanted to comment on the potato globe but couldn’t. Love the concept of that dish and beautiful post.

  57. Mimi says:

    So yummy I can’t wait until my eggplants ripen.
    Mimi

  58. cna training says:

    My cousin recommended this blog and she was totally right keep up the fantastic work!

  59. A Canadian Foodie says:

    What a great idea. I have never used an eggplant as a cracker. Cucumber: yes; eggplant: no. And I love the tang that pomegranate molasses brings to a dish. This is a great summer snack and appetizer, or side idea.
    🙂
    Valerie

  60. gourmandelise says:

    Très jolie tarte fine!
    Elle doit etre très bonne!

  61. Camille says:

    Wow, sounds fablulous! I love the gave an old recipe a new twist!

  62. Nancy says:

    This looks divine! I love pomegranate molasses.

  63. alizegitrutle says:

    сайт обо всём на свете lampara

  64. domi says:

    Excellentissime cette ” pizza ” un vrai régal…bravissimo!!!!!

  65. Mona says:

    So so delicious! I made it on an Afghan bread instead and used the Sumac. It was so delicious I just can’t wait to make it again. Thank you so much for this amazing vegetarian recipe!

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