Lebanese Eggplant with Pomegranate Molasses (Batinjan Bil Rumman)

Here is my second dish with pomegranate molasses and I think I am slowly falling in love with this sweet-tart sauce.

This is a Lebanese dish from Arabesque by Claudia Roden where eggplants are baked until soft, then coated with a pomegranate vinaigrette and sprinkled with pomegranate seeds and chopped parsley. It is a very simple recipe for a simple dish. In fact, the tastes are rather subtle which is why I enjoyed it. This is meant to be a dish as part of a mezze (appetizer) spread and can be served hot or cold. I preferred to use it as a sandwich topper. It was delicious cold, heaping over a toasted bagel for breakfast. The recipe says the pomegranate seeds are optional but I think they really made the dish stand-out. They explode with little bursts of flavours when you bite through them.

This is my submission to this week’s Weekend Herb Blogging hosted by Katie at Eat This!.

Lebanese Eggplant with Pomegranate Molasses (Batinjan Bil Rumman)

2-3 eggplants (weighing about 2 pounds total)
juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
1-2 garlic cloves, chopped
salt and black pepper
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
seeds of 1/2 pomegranate (optional, but I think this really made the dish stand out)

1. Prick the eggplants in a few places with a pointed knife to prevent them from exploding. Place them on a sheet of foil on an oven tray and roast them in an oven preheated to 475F for 45-55 minutes, until the skins are wrinkled and they are very soft.

2. Meanwhile, mix them lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, garlic, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Set aside.

3. When cool enough to handle, peel and drop the eggplants in a colander or strainer with small holes. Press them very gently to allow their juices to run out. Then, on a serving plate, cut them into large pieces and dress them quickly with the dressing so that the flesh does not have time to discolor.

4. Pour the dressing quickly over the eggplants, and turn them to coat them all over with the dressing. Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley and, if you like, pomegranate seeds.

Serves 4-6.