Eggplant Marmaris

Ingredients for 3 servings:

• 1 large eggplant(s)
• 4 tomatoes, fully ripe
• 2 onions
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 pepper, red
• 1 tsp thyme, dried
• 3 leaves of lovage, fresh or equivalent amount of dried
• 1 tsp spice mix (Vegeta)
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• Salt
• Pepper, freshly ground
• 1 pinch of spice mix for gyros
• Vegetable oil (e.g. sunflower or rapeseed oil) for frying
• lemon juice
• n. B. Herbs to taste

Instructions

Working time approx. 45 minutes; Total time approx. 45 minutes

cold starter made from eggplant and tomatoes

Brought back from a holiday in Turkey: A delicious cold appetizer made with eggplant and tomatoes. Unfortunately, no one there could tell me what the dish was called, so I named it after the city where we first ate it. Wash the eggplants and trim off the stems. Then cut into finger-thick slices and let them soak for about 10-15 minutes in heavily salted water to which a little lemon juice has been added. Weigh them down with a plate to ensure the slices are fully coated in the salt water. Then rinse and pat dry. This process draws the bitter substances out of the vegetables. Pat dry with kitchen paper. Now cut the eggplants into cubes and fry them in hot oil (do the wooden spoon test beforehand: if the handle of a dipped wooden spoon spontaneously produces small bubbling bubbles, the oil is at the right temperature) until they have turned golden brown (possibly in 2-3 batches). Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on plenty of kitchen paper. Peel and finely dice the onions. Peel and finely chop the garlic. Chop the chili peppers. Roughly dice the tomatoes. Tip: We like it when the tomatoes are drained and canned. It also tastes great with 2-3 finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes. The ratio of eggplant to tomato should be 1:3 to 1:4. Details depend on personal taste. Add 2-3 tablespoons of the frying oil to a non-stick pan and sauté the onions and garlic, covered, for about 5 minutes until light golden brown, stirring occasionally. Add the tomatoes and eggplant and season. Mix all ingredients well, bring to a boil, and simmer uncovered over low heat for about 10-15 minutes. Tip: If you don’t have Vegeta at home, you can use granulated vegetable stock instead. If you like, you can add more herbs, such as chopped flat-leaf parsley (delicious when simmered) or some fresh dill (added at the end). Season again with salt (or smoked salt if desired) and pepper, let cool, and refrigerate overnight. Serve as a cold appetizer. Serve with sliced ​​baguette.