Roasted Za’atar Spiced Eggplant with Labneh
My friend Wuen has a natural talent for creating improvised dishes that always turn out beautiful and delicious. She invited us over for a Middle Eastern food fest at her place and I helped her cook a couple of dishes, one of which was grilled eggplant spiced with za’atar. If you’re unfamiliar with za’atar, it’s a dried spice blend that includes thyme, sumac, roasted sesame seeds, oregano and marjoram. You may find za’atar at the spice section of your local grocery store or buy a packet online. It adds a lovely aroma and flavor to vegetable or meat dishes.
As for labneh, it’s strained yoghurt that has the consistency of soft cream cheese. Some specialty grocery stores may sell labneh but it’s not difficult to make it yourself. You do need to make it a day ahead because it takes time to strain out all the liquid in the yoghurt. I first tasted labneh at a Lebanese restaurant and mistook it for regular yoghurt. To my surprise, it was so much creamier, smoother and more delicious! Labneh goes wonderfully well with grilled eggplant. You can plop it on top of the grilled eggplant or eat it as a dip.
Labneh
Ingredients
- 1 kg large container plain or natural yogurt
- 1 Large pinch of salt
- Cheese cloth
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder or to taste
- Extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Mix yoghurt with salt. Place the salted yoghurt onto a cheese cloth that’s lining a colander or strainer. Put that on top of large bowl to capture the liquid.
- Fold the excess cloth over the yoghurt and cover it with plastic wrap. Place it in the fridge for 12 to 14 hours for softer labneh, and longer if you want a harder consistency.
- When it is ready, remove the labneh from the cheese cloth and add garlic powder. Mix well. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil when it’s ready to be served.
Notes
Roasted Za’atar Spiced Eggplant
Ingredients
- 3 globe eggplant cut in half lengthwise
- ½ cup za’atar or to taste
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven 200℃ (400℉)
- On the cut side of the eggplant, score the flesh deeply (but not all the way through) with a sharp knife diagonally about 1 inch apart, and rotate the eggplant to slice it into a diamond pattern. Rub za’atar liberally on the cut side. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle oil liberally to both sides of the eggplant and place them cut-side down on a baking paper-lined large pan.
- Roast for about 35 to 40 minutes until the back of the halved eggplants look collapsed or puckered.
- You may serve the roasted eggplants on top of the labneh or serve the labneh on the side. Enjoy this meal with couscous, flatbread and tabbouleh!