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Zaalouk
Smoky cooked aubergine and tomato salad with garlic, cumin and paprika
Zaalouk is one of the cooked salads that open almost every Moroccan meal, from Fez to Essaouira, set out in small dishes with taktouka and carrot salad and scooped up with bread. Aubergine and tomato are cooked down together with garlic, cumin and paprika until they become a soft, spoonable relish, sharpened at the end with lemon and olive oil. It tastes even better the next day, so many cooks make a big batch. Chef's tip: char the aubergine over a gas flame or under the grill first if you can; the smoky skin flavour gives the best zaalouk.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Prick 2 aubergines a few times with a fork. Char them directly over a gas flame or under a very hot grill, turning, for 12–15 minutes until the skin is blackened and the flesh has collapsed.
13 minStep 2: Leave them in a covered bowl for 5 minutes, then peel off the skin and roughly chop the flesh. Don't rinse them, or you wash the smoky flavour away.
Step 3: Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add 3 garlic cloves, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp sweet paprika and ¼ tsp chilli powder and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
1 minStep 4: Add 3 ripe tomatoes, 1 tsp salt and the aubergine. Cook for 10–12 minutes, mashing with a fork or potato masher, until most of the liquid has gone and the mixture is thick enough to hold a trail when you drag a spoon through it. A common mistake is serving it too wet; cook until no liquid pools around the edge.
11 minStep 5: Stir in ½ oz fresh coriander and parsley and 1 tbsp lemon juice. Serve warm or at room temperature, with a drizzle of olive oil on top.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 140 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 14 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does zaalouk take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of ripe tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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