Batenjan el raheb – Lebanese grilled eggplant salad
Batenjan el raheb, also known as monk's salad, is a Lebanese salad of grilled eggplant, served in mezze with tomato, cucumber, green pepper, onion, parsley, mint, lemon, olive oil and sumac. A fresh, vegan and fragrant recipe.
Pour: 4
Ingredients
- 1 kg eggplant
- 100 g cucumber, finely diced
- 150 g tomatoes, finely diced
- 1 green bell pepper, finely diced
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped mint
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 60 g lemon juice
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons sumac
- Salt
Préparation
- Preheat the oven to 220°C on grill mode, or prepare a barbecue.
- Prick the aubergines with a fork, then grill them for 35 to 45 minutes, turning regularly, until the skin is blackened and the flesh is very tender.
- Let the eggplants cool, open them, collect the flesh and drain it for a few minutes in a colander.
- Coarsely mash the eggplant flesh with a fork and arrange it on a plate or serving dish.
- In a bowl, combine the cucumber, tomatoes, green pepper, onion, parsley, mint and garlic.
- In a separate bowl, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, sumac and salt.
- Place the fresh vegetables on top of the mashed eggplants.
- Drizzle with the lemon sumac vinaigrette.
- Set aside in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving.
- Add a drizzle of olive oil and a little sumac just before serving.
Notes
For a smookier taste, grill eggplants directly over a flame, on the barbecue or under the broiler.
Batenjan el raheb does not contain tahini, unlike moutabal. Its texture is fresher, with crunchy vegetables placed on top of the grilled eggplant.
You can add a drizzle of pomegranate molasses or a few pomegranate seeds when serving for a more tangy version.
