About This Dish
Morocco's most popular cooked salad and a fixture on every restaurant and home table. Eggplant is roasted or grilled until smoky and collapsing, then mashed and simmered with tomatoes, garlic, cumin, and paprika until the flavors meld into a thick, rich spread. The texture falls somewhere between a dip and a side dish, and it is eaten with bread as part of the traditional Moroccan salad course that begins every meal. Zaalouk is one of those dishes that tastes better the next day as the flavors continue to develop. Every region has subtle variations in the spice balance.
Ingredients
- 2 Eggplant, large
- 4 Ripe tomatoes, chopped
- 4 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1.5 tsp Ground cumin
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper
- 4 tbsp Olive oil
- 2 tbsp Fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2 tbsp Fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tbsp Lemon juice
- to taste Salt
Instructions
- 1
Grill eggplants over open flame or under broiler until charred and completely soft inside, about 15 minutes.
- 2
Peel the charred skin and roughly chop the smoky flesh.
- 3
In a pan, cook tomatoes with olive oil until they break down, about 10 minutes.
- 4
Add garlic, cumin, paprika, and cayenne. Cook 2 minutes.
- 5
Add chopped eggplant. Mash and stir together, cooking 10 minutes until thick.
- 6
Remove from heat. Add lemon juice, cilantro, and parsley.
- 7
Serve at room temperature with bread.
Tips & Tricks
- Char the eggplant directly over a gas flame for the most authentic smoky flavor.
- The salad should be thick enough to scoop with bread, not watery.
- Zaalouk improves overnight — make it a day ahead when possible.
- Some cooks add a diced preserved lemon for extra tang.