Turkish Eggplant Salad - Patlıcan Salatası
Turkish Eggplant Salad, or Patlıcan Salatası, is a smoky Turkish meze made with charred eggplant and sweet peppers, dressed with garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and pomegranate molasses. It is vegan, gluten free, and tastes even better the next day.
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 164kcal
Ingredients
- 2 medium eggplants
- 2 large red peppers (sweet Romano peppers)
- 1 small red onion
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic (finely chopped)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (adjust to your taste)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses (adjust to your taste)
- 2 tablespoon chopped parsley leaves
Instructions
Roast the Vegetables
- Start by roasting the eggplants, sweet peppers, and red onions, as this is what gives the salad its smoky flavor. Poke each eggplant a few times with a fork or toothpick so it does not burst while it cooks.
- Set your vegetables over a gas flame or on the BBQ and cook until the skin is nicely charred and the insides are soft, turning them every so often. This usually takes about 10 minutes for the peppers and 20 minutes for the eggplants and red onions to cook through.
Peel and Drain
- Place the roasted vegetables in a bowl and cover for 10 minutes. This makes the skin easier to remove.
- Peel off the skin and discard any large seeds. Let the eggplant drain in a colander for 10 to 15 minutes to get rid of the bitter juices.
- Some people like their salad chunky, others prefer it smoother. Chop the eggplant, pepper, and red onion into your preferred size.
Mix the Salad
- Mince the garlic and chop the parsley.
- In a large bowl, combine the chopped roasted vegetables, garlic, parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, and pomegranate molasses.
- Season with salt, paprika, and freshly ground black pepper.
- Patlıcan Salatası tastes great freshly made, but letting it sit for 20 to 30 minutes helps the flavors blend together.
Notes
Storage
- Fridge: Keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Take it out 20 minutes before serving and stir it through.
- Freezer: Not for the finished salad, the eggplant goes mushy and watery. Freeze the roasted eggplant flesh on its own for up to 3 months instead.
- Make ahead: Char the vegetables a day early, peel and drain them, keep them covered in the fridge, and dress the salad on the day.
- Pick medium eggplants that feel heavy with tight, shiny skin. Big ones carry more seeds and taste bitter.
- Char over a gas flame or coals for the smokiest result. Under a broiler it takes about 25 minutes. In the oven, roast at 425°F (220°C) for 45 to 50 minutes and stir in a pinch of smoked paprika at the end, since you get almost no smoke that way.
- Cover the hot vegetables for 10 minutes so the steam loosens the skins, then peel them while they are still warm.
- Drain the peeled eggplant in a colander for 10 to 15 minutes. This takes out the bitter juices and stops a watery salad.
- Do not rinse the peeled flesh under the tap, it washes the smoky flavor away.
- Chop by hand. A food processor turns it to paste in seconds.
- One garlic clove is enough. More buries the smoky taste.
- Rub the chopped red onion with salt and a little sumac, then rinse and squeeze it dry, to take out the raw bite.
- Taste the pomegranate molasses before you add it all. Brands vary in sourness, so start with half.
- Rest the finished salad for 20 to 30 minutes before serving.
- Pomegranate molasses: Use 1 teaspoon of sumac, or balsamic vinegar with a little honey. Sumac also keeps the color brighter, as pomegranate molasses darkens the salad.
- Peppers: Sweet red Romano peppers are best. Green peppers work and taste sharper.
- Parsley: Dill or mint both work.
- Yogurtlu: Stir in 3 to 4 tablespoons of thick strained yogurt and leave out the pomegranate molasses. This version is no longer vegan.
- Add a chopped, deseeded tomato for a fresher salad.
- Add a chopped green chili or a teaspoon of Turkish pepper paste for heat.
- Mash it smooth and serve it as a dip.
Nutrition
Calories: 164kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 591mg | Potassium: 749mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 2642IU | Vitamin C: 115mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 1mg