Israeli eggplant and red pepper salad (Parve)

While you’ll need to do a little deep frying to make this Israeli eggplant and red pepper salad, the rest of the preparation is so simple that you may not need to spend extra minutes in the oven. According to Giora Shimon, the dish is served as an appetizer, salad or fridge – no matter how you serve it, “I’ll leave everyone at your table with a delicious eggplant cake”.

If you’re entertaining, it’s a great addition to the extraordinary menu inspired by Mediterranean cuisine. Serve it on a regular buffet'alongside Israeli Hummus', Baked Chicken Fillet , Matboucha , Grilled Fish , Stuffed Grape Vegetable Recipes , Golden Rice with Golden Raisins and Spanakopita's . Serve with baklava and dessert fruit.

Variation : some people lightly dust slices of baklava before frying.

Miri Recipe Testing Notes & Tips :

When it’s time to eliminate most of the hot oil in step 3 below, take care to avoid burns! Instead of putting away the oil, try patting a couple of paper towels by grabbing them with tongs, and carefully add the oil to the towels.

Edited by Miri Rotkovitz

What you need

. 3 medium eggplants (about 3 to 3 1/2 pounds total, cut and slice into 1/2-inch slices) 2-inch canola oil (for deep frying) 2 bell peppers (red, trimmed and sliced into strips) 1/3 cup ketchup 2 tablespoons vinegar (white wine) 3 cloves garlic (peeled, crushed and finely chopped) Sea salt to taste (or Kosher) Optional: Parsley (chopped)

How to make it

1. Place the eggplant slices in a container set over a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and let sit for 30 minutes. Rinse eggplant slices in salt, drain and clean well with paper towels. (Try to get the slices as dry as possible – any droplets of water may splash hot oil if the eggplant hits the pan.)

2. In a wok, large, deep casserole dish or heavy-bottomed pot, heat 2ºC oil over medium-high heat.

When the oil is hot (375° on a frying thermometer), cook the eggplant slices in batches until golden, taking care not to pan-fry. Fry each batch until the eggplant is golden and soft, about 5 minutes, then remove from the oil with a slotted spoon. Cool the eggplant on paper towel-lined plates or baking sheets.

3. Remove most of the oil from the pan and add the red pepper slices. Saute until just softened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Slide into a large bowl and add the eggplant. Toss to combine.

5. In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, vinegar and garlic. Pour the mixture over the eggplant and red pepper slaw and toss gently to coat. Season to taste with salt.

6. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight before serving. Transfer the salad to a shallow dish. Serve chilled or at room temperature, if desired, with chopped fresh parsley.

Nutritional Guidelines (per serving) Calories 385 Total fat 37 g Saturated fat 3 g Saturated fat 23 g Cholesterol 0 mg Sodium 91 mg Carbohydrate 15 g Fiber 5 g Protein 2 g (Nutritional information in our recipes is calculated from the ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. Individual results may vary.)