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Baked Eggplant with Tomato Ezme and Native Garnishes Recipe

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A large slice of cooked eggplant covered with a pile of fresh, juicy-looking salsa and scattered with various native Australian plants for garnish.
A close up of a large slice of cooked eggplant covered with a pile of fresh, juicy-looking salsa and scattered with various native Australian plants for garnish.

This melt-in-your-mouth eggplant is levelled up with a few unique native Australian plants for garnish, but if you don’t have access to those, know that the tomato ezme (a spicy Turkish salad) packs all the fresh, juicy zing you need!

You will need

Makes 6

  • 2 eggplants
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce (or tamari if gluten-free)
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon tahini
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt

Tomato ezme:

  • 3 large tomatoes, firm and fresh, diced
  • 4 spring onions, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup fresh coriander, finely chopped
  • 1 red chilli, deseeded, finely chopped
  • 1/2 lemon, juice and zest
  • 1 teaspoon pomegranate molasses
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, extra virgin
  • Salt and pepper

Native Australian garnishes:

  • Muntries, a spoonful for each (little white berries)
  • Desert limes, 2-3 for each (pleasantly sharp tasting tiny fruit)
  • Baby pigface, a few sprigs (a native succulent)

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Directions

10 mins to prep

15 mins to cook

  1. Step 1

    Preheat the oven to 200°C.

  2. Step 2

    Cut each eggplant into three thick slices, score the flesh lightly on one side of each slice, and season with salt.

  3. Step 3

    In a hot frying pan with a little olive oil, cook the seasoned eggplants for a few minutes (for the slices with a skinned side, cook them scored side down to start!).

  4. Step 4

    Mix together the water, soy sauce and brown sugar, and pour over the eggplants to cook for another minute, until the fleshy sides are starting to brown. Brush the scored sides of the eggplants with tahini and then place in the oven for 10 minutes or until cooked through and soft to touch.

  5. Step 5

    To make the tomato ezme, mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl.

  6. Step 6

    Serve the eggplants topped with a generous amount of tomato ezme and garnish with native ingredients of your choice.

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Recipe: Jack Brown

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