Fried eggplant and cauliflower with tahini sauce

Tahini, a thick paste made from ground sesame seeds, is a staple ingredient commonly used throughout Lebanese cuisine for a variety of traditional dishes. When combined with fresh lemon juice, garlic and parsley, it becomes a creamy and nutty dipping sauce for breads and vegetables, suitable for plant-based and dairy-free guests.

Credit: Jiwon Kim

• serves

  2

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  10 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

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Ingredients

• 1 eggplant
• 2 - 3 tsp table salt
• ¼ cup oil (vegetable or olive)
• ½ cauliflower, cut into florets
• Lebanese bread, to serve

For the tahini sauce 

• ½ cup tahini
• ½ tsp salt
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 2 - 4 tbsp water
• 2 tsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves, plus extra leaves to serve

Instructions

1. Thinly slice the eggplant, then place onto a working surface and sprinkle well with salt. Allow the slices to sit for 3 minutes to draw moisture out of the eggplant, then pat dry with a paper towel.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a low heavy-based saucepan over high heat. Fry the cauliflower florets until tender, then transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, then repeat with the eggplant slices until all the vegetables are cooked and golden.

3. To make the tahini sauce, combine the tahini, salt, garlic and lemon juice in a medium bowl and whisk well to combine. Gradually add the water, until you reach your desired consistency. It may seize up, but continual whisking and additional water will ensure a smooth sauce. Stir the parsley through the tahini sauce.

4. Serve the fried eggplant and cauliflower with the tahini sauce and Lebanese bread on the side.

Photography by Jiwon Kim.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Stream free On Demand

Weeknight Potluck Solved

Watch the full episode here

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Watch the full episode here

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