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Eggplants in a Spicy Honey Sauce

The sauce is a splendid example of the hot, spicy, and sweet combinations which are a thrilling feature of North African cooking. Serve it cold with bread.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    serves 4

Ingredients

2 medium-large eggplants
Olive oil
Salt
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 inches fresh gingerroot, grated, or cut into pieces and the juice squeezed out in a garlic press
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
Large pinch of cayenne or ground chili pepper, to taste
4–6 tablespoons honey
Juice of 1 lemon
2/3 cup water

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Cut the eggplants into rounds about 1/3 inch thick. Do not peel them. Dip them in olive oil, turning them over, and cook on a griddle or under the broiler, turning them over once, until they are lightly browned. They do not need to be soft, as they will cook further in the sauce.

    Step 2

    In a wide saucepan or skillet, fry the garlic in 2 tablespoons of the oil for seconds only, stirring, then take off the heat. Add the ginger, cumin, and cayenne or ground chili pepper, honey, lemon juice, and water. Put in the eggplant slices and cook over low heat—either in batches, so that they are in one layer, or together, rearranging them so that each slice gets some time in the sauce—for about 10 minutes, or until the slices are soft and have absorbed the sauce. Add a little water if necessary.

Cover of Claudia Roden's The New Book of Middle Easter Food, featuring a blue filigree bowl filled with Meyer lemons and sprigs of mint.
Reprinted with permission from The New Book of Middle Eastern Food, copyright © 2000 by Claudia Roden, published by Knopf. Buy the full book on Amazon or Bookshop.
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