Mar 31, 20213 min read

Zaalouk - Moroccan Eggplant Dip/Salad

Updated: Oct 9, 2022

Today we are making Zaalouk. Zaalouk is a simple Moroccan salad made with eggplant, tomato, spices and olive oil that is packed with flavor. You can make it chunky or smooth, use it as a dip, side dish or spread.

Ingredients for Zaalouk Recipe

Eggplant - 1 Medium

Olive Oil - 2 Tablespoons

Garlic Cloves - 5-6

Turmeric Powder - 1/3rd Teaspoon

Cumin Powder - 1 Teaspoon

Red Chili Powder - Half Teaspoon

Tomatoes - 3 Small

Salt - 1 Teaspoon or as per taste

Cilantro or Parsley

Lime - Juice of half a Lime

Olive oil and Cilantro for garnish

I am going to show you how easy it is to prepare this recipe with a few ingredients and a few simple steps.

Let’s get started

Step 1 - Prep the eggplant

We are going to use a medium size eggplant for this recipe.

There are so many different ways to prepare this dish, but with this recipe we are going to make it without using any oven or grills. Slice the head of the eggplant, then chop the eggplant in medium size pieces. You can choose to finely chop them as well, but I want to prepare it with more texture. Make sure you use a fresh eggplant while preparing this recipe.

Step 2 - Let’s cook everything

To a pan, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add 5-6 finely chopped garlic cloves. Cook the garlic over low heat for 2 minutes or until the rawness of the garlic disappears. Stir it else the garlic might burn.

Then add 1/3rd teaspoon of turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon of cumin powder, half teaspoon of red chili powder, cook the spices for a minute over low heat.

Then add the chopped eggplant to the pan followed by 3 small finely chopped tomatoes. Mix everything well with the spices. Then cover the pan and let this cook over low or medium low heat for 8-10 minutes.

After 8 minutes, check the progress, ensure that it’s not getting stuck to the bottom of the pan.

The eggplant will get cooked easily in its juices which will add additional flavor to the recipe, try not to add any water. I am also trying to lightly press the eggplant pieces. Now it’s time to add the salt, add 1 teaspoon of salt or salt as per taste. Mix everything and again cover it and cook for another 5-7 minutes. Remove the cover and add some cilantro or coriander leaves, then juice of half lime. Mix it well, at this point you can serve this as a side dish, but I want the eggplant to break down a little bit more so I am covering it again and cooking for another 5-7 minutes.

After 5 minutes, remove the cover, and the Zaalouk is ready. I am going to use it like a dip for my bread. Topping it with some more olive oil and fresh coriander leaves. It is so so good, it has this amazing blend of flavors and can be served as a side dish, a dip or as a spread on your sandwiches. I just can’t stop eating it.