Easy Grilled Eggplant Recipe with Turkish Yogurt
The delightful combination of this grilled eggplant recipe and tangy, refreshing Turkish yogurt dip is a match made in culinary heaven.
Equipment
- 1 kitchen towel
Ingredients
For the Eggplant
- 2-3 eggplants medium to large
- salt as needed
- 4 tbsp olive oil
Turkish Yogurt (Cacik)
- 1 cup Greek yogurt plain
- 1/4 cup grated cucumber liquid squeezed out
- 1 tbsp dried mint
- 1-2 cloves minced garlic
- salt to taste
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
The Eggplant
- Start by cutting the eggplants into rounds, approximately 1/2 inch thick.
- Lay out a kitchen towel and place the eggplant rounds on it. Sprinkle salt on both sides of each round, allowing it to sit for about 30 minutes. The salt draws out excess moisture, resulting in a firmer texture and preventing the eggplant from becoming too watery during grilling.
- After 30 minutes, pat the eggplant rounds dry on both sides using paper towels. This step ensures that the excess moisture is removed.
- Brush both sides of each round with olive oil. This step adds a beautiful sheen and aids in achieving a delightful charred exterior during grilling.
- Place the eggplant rounds on the grill on medium to high heat and cook for approximately 6-8 minutes on each side, or until nicely grilled on each side.
Turkish Yogurt (Cacik)
- Grate the cucumber on to a thin kitchen towel, then wrap and squeeze out as much of the fluid as possible.
- In a bowl, combine Greek yogurt, dried mint, minced garlic, grated cucumber, and a pinch of salt.
- Stir the ingredients until they are well combined, ensuring that the herbs and cucumber are evenly distributed throughout the yogurt.
- Drizzle with olive oil: Finish off your cacik by drizzling a generous amount of olive oil on top. The olive oil adds richness and a smooth finish, enhancing both the taste and presentation of the dip.