Eggplant Salad Recipe (2024)

I find it easier to roast eggplants in a 450 degree oven until they start to collapse, then slit them open and scrape the pulp off the peel with a spoon.

Baked at 450 degrees as suggested by a prior poster. Cooled, peeled, then let marinate in fridge as recipe suggested.
Delicious. I highly recommend this dish. Served in a rice bowl with roasted chicken, kale, spaghetti squash, avocado, sesame seeds

This method will not blacken and blister the skin, which is what gives eggplant an unmistakebly smoky note. If you don't want to mess up the burners on the stove (and who does?), set the halved eggplant on baking sheet (preferably one that you've covered with foil and cooking spray) and place under a broiler set on high. When you begin to smell it smoke, turn it off, and leave it in there to cool. Voila.

Thanks, madeleinec, for the roasting tip.
We don't have a gas stove where we currently live.
Ruth should have included this in her recipe!

In my experience, charring eggplants (or peppers, etc.) this way is not only easier, with very little loss of flavor, it also saves your gas stove burner which can get wrecked doing what Ms. Reichl recommended unless you completely protect it first with a large collar of aluminum foil.

What are some good vegetarian alternatives to fish sauce?

I know I'm a wimp, so I knew a full teaspoon of chili flakes would be too overpowering, so I simply left them out. The salad is flavorful enough as it is and can stand on its own without the chili flakes, if they're too much for you. I ate part of it on crackers and the rest of it over brown rice. I roasted two medium-sized globe eggplants in a 400-degree oven for an hour until they collapsed. Charring them provides a rich smoky flavor, but even just roasting is good and even simpler.

Made this today. Used 1 eggplant, quartered, brushed with olive oil, salted and peppered. Roasted in the oven. 1/4 tsp chile flakes (scared to use more;).
Surprisingly delicious. Will make again.
Merci pour la recette.

I used a little less fish sauce (about 2T) and less brown sugar (1.5 T) and thought that it was plenty strong for that quantity of eggplant. I also tossed in some thai basil because I had it which was a delicious addition. It's still warm enough so I fired up the gas grill and charred the eggplant outside. Much easier to clean up! Once winter hits I plan to roast the eggplant in a 450 oven (cut in half on a cookie sheet) and then broil at the end to get a little char.

I agree with Madeleine C.. using the oven is much easier..I put them on a foil lined pan under the broiler and turn them every 5-6 minutes until they are blackened and soft..usually about 20 min. And then scrape out the flesh.. much simpler than peeling them. They still have the smokey flavor.. foil can be rinsed and reused or recycled! I have an abundance of the Thai long green eggplants in the garden and this is a quick way to use them.

if you don't have a gas stove, in Turkey it's done over a fire, or charcoal (harder), and I've used a torch (butane) that some use for browning the tops of custard(?) a woodworkers blowtorch works very well- put the eggplant on skewers so you can turn it Claudia Roden says wrap the eggplant in foil or a towel after the surface is charred and let it rest for a bit -makes the skin easier to get off- I don't usually wait.

This was delicious. I have an electric stove so I broiled the eggplant and it worked just fine.

Step 1: pick eggplants from gardenStep 2: char on grillStep 3: marinate as directed and enjoy with mezze and grilled breadSo simple yet the flavor is complex—AMAZING!

This was a staple in our family but rather than roasting or broiling it, we steamed the egg plant (not smoky but still delish), then scooped out the flesh and dressed it with crispy shallots, shallot oil, sesame oil, soy sauce, a dash of balsamic vinegar, a touch of sugar to balance acidity and chopped cilantro.

The baking and broiling tips were great! Just a reminder to poke holes in the eggplants before putting in the oven if you’re baking them whole.

Easier still: charred eggplant is available in jars from middle eastern markets. Most have too much citric acid, but the one from the Turkish brand, Gurme 212, is good.It even comes in 6 lb jars ;-)

What are chilli flakes? Do you mean the red pepper flakes that most stores carry?

https://store.177milkstreet.com/collections/specialty-cookware/products/pazaar-kozmatik THIS is the ideal way to char eggplants & other vegs. like peppers. Works like a charm & keeps most of the 'mess' under control. A bit $$$ for such a single use 'tool' but indespensible if charring vegs. is your 'thing'!

Made the eternal mistake of not reading the recipe far enough ahead and didn't realize it's supposed to marinate in the fridge for a while, and can confirm it's still delicious tossed together and eaten immediately. I had mine with roasted pork belly over brown rice, garnished with cilantro and scallions.

Use wood chips (immersed in water for 15 min and drained) in a grill smoker to get the smoky flavor.

This is a meatless version of a Madhur Jaffrey Vietnamese recipe I've made many times. Ground pork (turkey or chicken) is stir fried with onion & garlic, to top the prepared charred eggplant split in half. Then the Nuoc Cham sauce, sliced scallions & cilantro over the top make this a delicious main course supper with Jasmine rice on the side.

Some Middle Eastern markets carry pre-roasted and peeled eggplant in jars, which has a nice smoky flavor & makes making dishes like this or baba ganoush super easy.

I have been extremely successful cooking eggplant by simply steaming it skin down or skinless for 15 minutes in a steaming basket over boiling water, or in those steamers that come with rice pots. Sure, you don't get the smoky flavor, but boy is it convenient, and the texture and flavor is wonderfully malleable--perfect for this eggplant salad recipe, and Chinese and Middle Eastern eggplant recipes that are sauteed or blended with garlic sauce! Yummm!

One More Thing!There are so many vegan and vegetarian varieties of fish sauce out there right now, each trying to approximate the deep, yawning saltiness of the fishy version, and each reaching varying depths of umami and brine in different, resourceful ways.If you’ve yet to try any, check out the cookbook author Andrea Nguyen’s notes on varieties, which I found so helpful, as well as her tips for making your own approximation using pineapple juice, and other stuff, too.

I grill the eggplant over charcoal to get a stronger, smokier, charred flavor. I find eggplant tastes better with some wood smoke.

Pretty awful c 3 tbsfish sauce 4 g of Salt!Julia salvaged it c toasted sesame oilNOT a repeat

I agree with Madeleine C.. using the oven is much easier..I put them on a foil lined pan under the broiler and turn them every 5-6 minutes until they are blackened and soft..usually about 20 min. And then scrape out the flesh.. much simpler than peeling them. They still have the smokey flavor.. foil can be rinsed and reused or recycled! I have an abundance of the Thai long green eggplants in the garden and this is a quick way to use them.