At my cooking class yesterday, I learned to make another version of tzatziki, the Greek yogurt salad. I decided to make it for dinner last night because it is easy and now, halfway through June with no sign of rain, I start sweating everytime I step into my kitchen. This salad is almost the same as that beet tzatziki I posted about a while back, but unlike beet, whose flavor tends to overwhelm, roasted eggplant is subtle and buttery. The eggplant is cubed, tossed in olive oil, and broiled for 7-10 minutes, until it’s soft and brown. Mix the yogurt with smashed garlic, lemon, dill, and the tiniest bit of olive oil; then add the eggplant and some salt. The thick white yogurt with bits of black eggplant looks classically pretty and the lemon and dill lend freshness to the lavish spoonfuls. It’s a quick and cooling antidote to these muggy evenings.
Dillightfully Creamy Yogurt with Roasted Eggplant, or, Eggplant Tzatziki
adapted from Asha Khatau
1 eggplant, cubed
2 cups strained yogurt (hang yogurt in a cheesecloth an hour or two before you plan on making this. Don’t throw out the water- it’s full of protein. Drink it or add it into a soup.)
2 cloves crushed garlic
1-1.5 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. chopped dill
1/2 teaspoon olive oil, plus more for coating the eggplant
salt
1. Coat the cubed eggplant in olive oil and broil in your oven for 7-10 minutes, until soft and brown
2. Add the garlic, lemon juice, dill and olive oil to the strained yogurt and mix
3. Add eggplant to yogurt mixture and sprinkle salt to taste. Chill until you’re ready to eat!
