About the Recipe
Turkish eggplant salad

Ingredients
6 mini eggplants (Indian eggplant) or 1 medium to large eggplant
4 tbsp olive oil, plus more to drizzle
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small yellow onion
1 medium tomato
Few stems of fresh parsley
2 tsp sumac, plus more to sprinkle
2 tsp dry mint, plus more to sprinkle
sea salt and cracked black pepper
1 tbsp pistachios
3-4 fresh mint leaves
1/2 lemon
1/2 cup water
Preparation
Wash and dry produce.
Quarter the eggplants without detaching stem (stop slicing through at about 1/2 inch from stem).
Chop the onion, tomato and parsley.
Prepare the garlic and herb/spice mix by adding spices and dry herbs along with minced garlic and 2 tbsp olive oil in a small bowl. Mix well.
Lather/rub inside of eggplants with the garlic mix.
On high heat, heat up 2 tbsp olive oil in a skillet or pan. Cook eggplants by pressing down gently and rotating to grill all around (about 3-5 mins total).
When eggplants darkened, pour in 1/2 cup water and cover pan and let cook on medium heat until softened, for about 7 mins.
Cut heat off the eggplants and set aside.
Plate salad by adding chopped tomato, onion and parsley, followed by a drizzle of olive oil, sprinkle of sumac, dry mint, sea salt and cracked black pepper. Top with cooked eggplants.
Finish salad with juice of 1/2 a lemon, a few pistachios, more fresh parsley and a few fresh mint leaves.
Optional: You can throw in some freshly minced garlic into the salad for a kick.