Baked eggplant with tahini yogurt

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 2 m.-large eggplant(s), firm
• 100 ml oil, approx.
• 3 tbsp pomegranate syrup, Turkish or Persian
• Salt
• e.g. pomegranate seeds
• e.g. sesame
• 150 g Greek yogurt, 10% fat
• 1 cm harissa paste, approx.
• 1 garlic clove(s), squeezed or finely chopped
• some salt
• 1 tsp tahini, approx.

Instructions

Working time approx. 45 minutes; Rest time approx. 15 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 35 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 35 minutes

Serve lukewarm or cold

Mix all the ingredients for the yogurt sauce and let it sit in the refrigerator while you prepare the eggplant. Wash the eggplant and cut into slices about 2 cm thick. Mix with salt and let it steep for 15 minutes. Mix the oil, pomegranate syrup, and about 1 teaspoon of salt well. Roast the sesame seeds in a dry pan until fragrant and lightly browned. Let cool on a plate. Dry the eggplant slices with kitchen paper, brush both sides with the oil mixture, place them next to each other on a baking sheet lined with baking paper, and bake in a preheated oven at 200°C (convection oven) for about 30 minutes, until soft. Turn the eggplant slices halfway through cooking. Baking times may vary depending on the oven; check occasionally and adjust the time. The eggplant should caramelize slightly; do not allow it to overbrown. Place the eggplant slices next to each other on a plate or platter and let cool. Spread the yogurt sauce over the cooled eggplants and sprinkle with sesame seeds and pomegranate seeds, if desired. Serve with some bread as a summer dish, for a buffet, or as a side dish for a barbecue. Serves 2-4, depending on your appetite and intended use. Notes: Pomegranate syrup can be found in Turkish supermarkets, for example. Don’t place the eggplant slices too close together; it’s better to use several baking sheets.