Skip to main content

Mekhalel Betingan

This easy pickle makes a ready delicious mezze.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    makes 2 quarts

Ingredients

2 pounds eggplants
Salt
1 1/4 cups red- or white-wine vinegar
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped or crushed
1 tablespoon crushed dried oregano
Olive oil

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Peel and slice the eggplants. Arrange them in a sieve or colander, sprinkling each layer with salt. Leave for 1/2 hour to allow the bitter juices to drain away. Rinse off the salt, then poach the slices for 5–10 minutes in boiling vinegar with enough added water to cover, until soft.

    Step 2

    Drain well, and arrange the slices in layers in a glass jar, putting a little crushed garlic and oregano between the layers. Fill the jar with oil and close it tightly.

    Step 3

    The eggplants will be ready after about a week and will keep several months.

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.
Read More
Khao niaow ma muang, or steamed coconut sticky rice with ripe mango, is a classic in Thai cuisine—and you can make it at home.
Saucy, soy-honey salmon—cut into cubes to speed up the cooking process—makes a savory topping for a quick weeknight bowl.
These decadent brownies feature a sweet, minty topping complemented by a rich dark chocolate ganache and mini chocolate chips for added texture.
With just a handful of ingredients, this old-fashioned egg custard is the little black dress of dinner party desserts—simple and effortlessly chic.
This summery sheet-pan dinner celebrates the bounty of the season and couldn't be simpler to make. Chorizo plays nicely with the salad, thanks to its spice.
Juicy peak-season tomatoes make the perfect plant-based swap for aguachile.
With rich chocolate flavor and easy customization, this hot cocoa recipe is just the one you want to get you through winter.
Who says ground chicken is boring? Two whole bunches of mint and some aromatics give these chicken meatballs their bracingly herby flavor.