Zaalouk, a zesty and smoky eggplant dip from Morocco, is easy to make and tastes amazing.
What Is Zaalouk?
It is a cooked salad sometimes called “eggplant caviar” and is one of my favourite ways to use eggplants. This simple but flavoursome dip is packed with fresh ingredients and seasoned generously with spices and herbs like cumin, coriander, smoked paprika etc.
If you’ve ever had a cold mezze at a Moroccan or other Mediterranean restaurants, chances are you’ve eaten zaalouk. It is usually served cold as part of a mezze (appetizer) and can be eaten as a dip, side dish or on its own. This Moroccan eggplant and tomato dip is great with warm bread, fish, meat or a tagine.
Like most recipes, zaalouk can be prepared in different ways. Some boil the eggplant, some char it over direct heat, while others grill or roast it. I prefer to roast the eggplant as it concentrates the flavours and also adds some smokiness. I used an air fryer instead of an oven, which did the job quicker.
How To Make Zaalouk
Here are the ingredients you need to make this zaalouk recipe...
- Eggplant
- Pepper (cayenne or bird eye)
- Tomatoes
- Garlic cloves
- Onion
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Coriander (Cilantro)
- Smoked paprika
- Cumin
- Salt to taste
- Juice of one lemon
A few notes about the ingredients...
- Tomatoes: Although fresh tomatoes are recommended for zaalouk recipe, you can substitute with canned chopped tomatoes if that is what you have.
- Peppers: This is an optional ingredient, and you can omit it if you prefer. Use whichever peppers you have to add a little heat to zaalouk. Fresh or ground chilli both work well.
- Smoked paprika: This is not a traditional zaalouk ingredient, but I like to use it for additional smokiness.
- Lemon juice: Don’t miss out on the lemon juice, as the acidity enhances the flavour immensely. Add at the end of cooking or squeeze some in after serving.
How To Make It...
Wash the eggplant and cut the top off. Cut into halves length-wise and make cross hatches with a knife. Remove the stalk and the seed seeds from the peppers.
Set the air fryer to 1900C. Place the eggplants in the air fryer. Turn over after 10 mins, then add peppers. Leave for another 10 mins or until tender and squishy inside. If you’re using an oven, set the oven to 2300C and cook for around 40 minutes.
When the eggplant is ready, remove from the air fryer and leave to cool. Then scoop the inside into a bowl with a spoon and use a knife to chop the skin. Add skin into the bowl, then mash with a fork or a potato masher. Mash the peppers too.
Wash and chop the coriander. Wash and remove the stalk from the tomatoes, then grate. Peel the onion and garlic, then chop both.
Add onion, garlic, tomatoes, cumin and smoked paprika into a pan on medium heat. Pour in the oil and cook for 15 mins.
Add the mashed eggplant and peppers into the pan with a teaspoon of salt, then add a splash of water. Reduce the heat and leave to cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, and flavours are concentrated. Stir in the chopped coriander and the juice of half a lemon. Taste and add more salt or lemon if preferred.
If you prefer a mushy or puree consistency, you can mash some more or use an immersion blender. I like mine with chunks.
Serve and drizzle with more olive oil.
Recipe FAQ
Baba ganoush has Lebanese origins and is made by roasting, then mashing eggplant with garlic. While Zaalouk originates from Morocco, and the eggplant is cooked with tomatoes, herbs and spices. It may or may not be roasted before cooking.
It can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. It is one of those foods that taste better the next day. You can also freeze for up to 3 months- to reheat, leave out to thaw first, then warm in the microwave.
Related Recipes
Serve zaalouk with;
Zaalouk (Moroccan Eggplant Dip) Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Aubergine large
- 2 Pepper cayenne or bird eye
- 3 Tomatoes medium
- 3 Garlic cloves cloves
- ½ Onion
- 3 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons Coriander chopped
- 1 tablespoon Smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- Salt to taste to taste
- 1 Juice of lemon
Instructions
- Wash the eggplant and cut the top off. Cut into halves length-wise and make cross hatches with a knife. Remove the stalk and the seed seeds from the peppers.
- Set the air fryer to 190℃. Place the eggplants in the air fryer. Turn over after 10 mins, then add peppers. Leave for another 10 mins or until tender and squishy inside.
- When the eggplant is ready, remove from the air fryer and leave to cool. Then scoop the inside into a bowl with a spoon and use a knife to chop the skin. Add skin into the bowl, then mash with a fork or a potato masher. Mash the peppers too.
- Wash and chop the coriander. Wash and remove the stalk from the tomatoes, then grate. Peel the onion and garlic, then chop both.
- Add onion, garlic, tomatoes, cumin and smoked paprika into a pan on medium heat. Pour in the oil and cook for 15 mins.
- Add the mashed eggplant and peppers into the pan with a teaspoon of salt, then add a splash of water. Reduce the heat and leave to cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Stir in the chopped coriander and the juice of half a lemon. Taste and add more salt or lemon if preferred.
- Serve and drizzle with more extra virgin olive oil.
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