Eggplant salads and appetizers facts for kids
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| Type | Salad |
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| Main ingredients | Eggplants |
Eggplant salads and appetizers are yummy dishes made from eggplants. Many different countries and cultures enjoy these tasty meals. They are often served before the main course or as a side dish. Eggplants are also known as aubergines in some parts of the world.
Contents
Delicious Eggplant Dishes Around the World
Middle East, Caucasus, and Africa
Baba ghanoush is a very popular dip from the Levant region. This area includes countries like Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan. To make it, eggplants are mashed and mixed with different spices. Often, the eggplant is cooked over a fire first. This gives it a soft texture and a smoky flavor. People usually eat baba ghanoush as a dip with pita bread. It has a light brown color. In Ethiopia, this dish is called blagadoush.
Mutabbal is another dish from the Levant, much like baba ghanoush. It also uses mashed cooked eggplants and tahini, which is a paste made from sesame seeds. Other ingredients include salt, pepper, olive oil, and pomegranate seeds. Some people say mutabbal is a spicier version of baba ghanoush.
In Armenia, this dish is known as mutabal. The main ingredients are eggplant, tahini, garlic, lemon, and onion. Many Armenians also add cumin for extra flavor.
Georgian badrijnis khizilala means "aubergine caviar." It is made from fried and chopped eggplants. Other common ingredients are onions, garlic, pomegranate, hot red pepper, vegetable oil, and fresh green cilantro.
In Israeli cuisine, a traditional version called salat ḥatzilim is made with mashed grilled eggplants, tahini, olive oil, lemon, garlic, and parsley. There is also a version that uses mayonnaise instead of tahini, called salat ḥatzilim b'mayonnaise.
In Morocco, a fried eggplant dish with tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, cumin, paprika, and parsley is called zaalouk.
Eggplant relish is a dish from the Middle East and North Africa. It's made with eggplant, salt, olive oil, lemon, and parsley. Some Egyptian versions even include cheese. It is usually served warm and eaten with pita bread or other types of bread.
In Iranian cuisine, eggplant is used to make appetizers like kashk bademjan and Mirza Ghasemi. Kashk bademjan is made with a special whey sauce called kashk.
Balkans and Eastern Europe
In Greece and Cyprus, melitzanosalata means "eggplant salad." It is made with olive oil and lemon juice. Other common ingredients are garlic, onion, and parsley. Sometimes, spices like cumin and red pepper flakes are added. It can be topped with feta cheese or olives.
Malidzano is a traditional spread from Macedonia. It is made from mashed eggplants, a type of cheese called sirenje, walnuts, and spices. It is often served as an appetizer with bread. In other countries in the Western Balkans, like Serbia and Croatia, it is made with green peppers and eggplant.
Salată de vinete (Eggplant salad) is a popular dish in Romania, Moldova, and Hungary. It is a mashed eggplant salad made from grilled, peeled, and finely chopped eggplants, sunflower oil, and chopped onions. The eggplants are grilled over an open flame until they are covered in a black ash crust. This crust is cleaned off, and the cooked eggplant is mashed. The mashed eggplant is then mixed with sunflower oil, chopped onions, and salt. Sometimes, crushed garlic and ground pepper are added. Instead of oil, mayonnaise can be used, but this is not the traditional way. A bit of lemon zest is added at the end, and the dish is sometimes decorated with tomato slices.
In Russia and Ukraine, a common appetizer is baklažannaja ikra, which means "aubergine caviar." Some versions include chopped tomatoes. Another eggplant salad in Russia is he iz baklažanov, which is influenced by Korean cuisine. This dish uses eggplant cut into thin strips (not mashed) and other vegetables, prepared with strong vinegar. It is left to sit for several hours before eating.
In Turkey, a similar appetizer 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 are also added. Often, eggplant is mixed with yogurt, olive oil, and garlic. In southern Turkey, especially in Antakya, you can find versions with cut eggplants. Other varieties, like şakşuka or köpoğlu, use roasted and chopped eggplants and peppers served with garlic yogurt or tomato sauce. Kyopolou is also a typical eggplant appetizer in Bulgaria. Hünkarbeğendi is another Turkish dish where meat (often lamb or veal) is served on a bed of creamy eggplant purée. The purée also contains kaşar cheese, milk, and flour.
South Asia
In India and Pakistan, a popular eggplant dish is called baingan bartha. It is especially popular in regions like Punjab, Maharashtra, Bihar, Orissa, and West Bengal. It is also eaten across Pakistan and in Bangladesh. This dish has many names depending on the local language, such as baingan ka bharta in Hindi or begun bhôrta in Bengali.
In the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, the Tamils prepare kathrikai thayir kothsu. For this, the eggplant is cooked, mashed, and then stir-fried with mustard, red chili peppers, and sesame oil. After that, yogurt is added, and the dish is topped with cilantro leaves. It is often eaten with Indian flatbreads like roti or paratha, or served with rice and raita (a yogurt salad).
People in Kashmir make a spicy and tangy eggplant dish called choek wangun. Tamarind is a very important ingredient in its gravy, giving it a sour taste.
East and Southeast Asia
Eggplant mud (茄泥) is a Chinese recipe made from steamed and mashed eggplant. It is served with dressings like pounded garlic mixed with soy sauce. In Sichuan cuisine, many people also like to add hot peppers and cilantro. It is a common lunch dish and can be eaten with rice or rolls.
Mashed eggplant is also part of Hmong cooking. It includes hot peppers and cilantro.
In Korea, steamed or poached strips of eggplant are seasoned with garlic, toasted sesame oil, and chili. This is a common side dish called 가지나물 (gaji namul), which means "eggplant salad."
Western Europe and Latin America
Caviar d'aubergine is made in southern France. Baked and peeled eggplant is mixed with garlic, tomato, parsley, lemon juice, and finally olive oil. It is served as an appetizer with French bread, sometimes along with olive tapenade.
Caponata is a Sicilian eggplant relish. It is made from chopped fried vegetables, mostly eggplants and peppers. These are seasoned with celery, olives, and capers, all in a sweet and sour sauce. Today, caponata is usually a side dish or appetizer. However, in the past, it was sometimes served as a main meal.
Berenjena a la vinagreta is a typical appetizer in Spanish-speaking countries. It is made from boiled eggplants in a vinaigrette sauce. The eggplant is usually salted to remove extra water, then boiled until soft. After that, it is placed in a vinaigrette with garlic and different herbs or spices. In Argentina, the eggplants are often left in the vinaigrette, which usually has a lot of oil, for several days. It is then eaten as part of a picada (a selection of small dishes) before a meal. In Spain, you can find it among other small dishes called pinchos at tapas bars. In the Catalonia region, eggplant is roasted and seasoned with olive oil in a dish called escalivada.
See also
In Spanish: Ensaladas y aperitivos de berenjena para niños
