How do you feel about eggplant? I was in my 30s before I ever ate one, and it was not very good. I don’t remember seeing them in produce section of my supermarket in Oregon as a kid. And, after I married Suzi, she stopped asking me to eat them and simply demanded. But, she’s good at eggplant so I evolved.

Who eats eggplant? We think of it as a Middle Eastern staple and this recipe is surely an excellent example. But almost 60% of eggplants are grown in China and, whether you knew it or not, there was eggplant in some of that Chinese food you had last week.

While they don’t eat eggplant in the massive proportions of the Chinese, people eat in the Middle East do treat it as a staple. It can be grilled, fried, preserved or roasted. This recipe uses roasting, which is both a healthier way of cooking and serves to concentrate the flavors

This picture does spare me a few hundred words. I think the dish looks like a classic Middle Eastern mosaic. You can put these colorful wedges into a salad. Or just it these wedges are their own. Not exactly French fries, but, after all, this is eggplant.

This recipe is from the new Sirocco as Sabrina Ghayour. The glorious photo is by Haarala Hamilton.

Cumin-Roasted Eggplant Wedges

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

• 3-4 large eggplant, cut into wedges (ensure the skin sides are 2 inches wide)
• ½ cup olive oil
• 5 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 6 tablespoons Greek yogurt
• 4- 5 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
• ¾ cup toasted pine nuts
• ½ cup pumpkin seeds
• ½ small package (about ½ ounce) of cilantro, leaves and stems finely chopped
• 1 cup pomegranate seeds
• Flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Using a pastry brush, brush the exposed flesh sides of each eggplant wedge with a good amount of olive oil. Arrange the wedges, skin-side down, on the prepared baking sheet, then sprinkle liberally with the cumin seeds, ensuring some seeds land on the exposed flesh of the wedges.

Roast for 45-60 minutes or until the eggplant wedges are golden brown, with dark, burnished edges. Arrange the wedges on a large, flat platter and season well with salt and pepper.

Give the yogurt a good seasoning of salt and pepper and dilute it with a little water if it is too thick to drizzle. Drizzle the yogurt over the eggplant, followed by the pomegranate molasses. Sprinkle liberally with the toasted pine nuts and pumpkin seeds, followed by the chopped cilantro. Lastly, sprinkle over the pomegranate seeds and serve immediately. If you have leftovers, they are great eaten the next day, served at room temperature.

Source: Sirocco by Sabrina Ghayour [Clarkson Potter, 2016]