Roasted Eggplant Pâté

Directions

1. 1

   Step 1

   

   Wash the vegetables. Peel the carrot. Remove the skin from the onion and garlic. Prepare a large frying pan, a colander, and paper towels.

   TipFor chopping the pâté, it's best to use very sharp knives or a special cleaver. Do not use a blender; the mixture should retain its texture.

2. 2

   Step 2

   

   Cut the eggplants into 1–1.5 cm cubes, place in a bowl, sprinkle with salt, and let stand for 30 minutes.

3. 3

   Step 3

   

   Drain the eggplants in a colander; the excess liquid needs to drain off. Then pat the eggplant cubes dry with a paper towel.

4. 4

   Step 4

   

   Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a frying pan, sauté the eggplants until golden brown for 7–8 minutes.

5. 5

   Step 5

   

   Peel and mince the garlic and chili pepper. Add to the eggplants and stir, keeping the heat on.

   TipIf you have a mortar, place the garlic and pepper in it, add a pinch of salt, and pound with a pestle until smooth.

6. 6

   Step 6

   

   Finely chop the onion and carrot. Grate the tomato on a coarse grater. Add the vegetables to the pan with the eggplants, season with salt and pepper, add the thyme, chopped basil, vinegar, and sugar. Cook for 25 minutes over medium heat.

   TipEggplants absorb a lot of oil; if there is none left in the pan, add a little more.

7. 7

   Step 7

   

   Transfer the cooked mixture to a work surface, let it cool slightly, and chop with a knife or a kitchen cleaver.

8. 8

   Step 8

   

   Toast the walnuts in a dry pan for 3 minutes, chop them in a blender or mortar, and add to the chopped vegetables.

9. 9

   Step 9

   

   Spread the pâté on crispbread and garnish with your favorite herbs. The crispbread with pâté can be sprinkled with pomegranate seeds, drizzled with pomegranate sauce (narsharab) or balsamic vinegar.