This little side dish has become a surprising discovery for me, making me question how I survived without it. It’s super simple to prepare, and has now become a go-to “food hack” for me – something that is easy yet incredibly delicious. (Why do we even say “but”? It seems like the best things in life are often the simplest.)
Traditionally, the eggplant is grilled directly over an open flame and then sliced open and covered with a delectable, lemony, garlicky tahini salad. In reality, I think the flavor of the eggplant is better when cooked conventionally.
Many people don’t have a stove-top with an open flame, and it makes such a huge mess that it’s not worth doing very often. For these reasons, I found you can get nearly the same result by dry-grilling in a pan on the stove top. If you don’t mind making a bit of a mess or if you have an outdoor grill, go ahead and roast the eggplant over the fire. Otherwise, stick with using a pan indoors.
Grilled Eggplant With Tahini
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Tahini Sauce: Tips for Use
Ingredients for tahini sauce can be varied to fit the needs of any meal. To make tahini sauce, you will need:
- 1/2 cup of grapeseed oil
- Three cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
- juice of 1 lemon (about two tablespoons)
- Two tablespoons white wine vinegar or rice vinegar
- One tablespoon honey
- Three tablespoons water
To make the tahini sauce, heat your oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, ginger, and salt, and pepper and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add in the cumin seeds and continue to cook for another minute. Turn off the heat and strain the mixture into a small bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together lemon juice, vinegar or rice vinegar, honey, and water until combined. Pour this mixture into the skillet with the garlic mixture and cook for 2 minutes until heated through. Serve immediately on warm toast or use as is for a side dish.
Conclusion
Tahini sauce is a great way to add flavor and texture to your grilled eggplant dishes. By making it yourself, you can vary the recipe and make it as delicious as you want. Tahini sauce is also easy to use – just mix together some tahini sauce, water, and olive oil until desired consistency is reached. Whether you are using it on its own or with other dishes, tahini sauce will add a touch of luxury and flavor to any meal.
Aurelia is the Editor-in-Chief of The Graceful Kitchen, a vegan lifestyle blog that focuses on delicious, nutritious, and ethical eating. A lifelong vegan, Aurelia is passionate about sharing her love of plant-based cuisine with others. She is a regular contributor to several online and print publications, and has been interviewed by major news outlets about the benefits of a vegan diet. In her free time, Aurelia enjoys cooking, hiking, and spending time with her cats.
