Moroccan Roasted Eggplant with Stewed Tomatoes

This Middle-Eastern inspired side dish, Moroccan Roasted Eggplant with Stewed Tomatoes, is just too delicious to save for dinner. Pile it high on top of a generous amount of hummus. Add pita bread or naan. And you have everyone’s new favorite snack.

On a recent trip to California to visit with our son and his family, we were introduced to this amazing combination. It was offered at a local restaurant specializing in authentic Israeli dishes, Oren’s Hummus.

It took just one bite of this goodness and I was hooked. I knew that I had to replicate it at home. Even though the subtle seasonings lean toward a Moroccan influence, I do believe that I’ve succeeded.

What you’ll need for your Moroccan Roasted Eggplant with Stewed Tomatoes…

• Dry white wine – Or verjuice. If you’re not familiar with verjuice, it’s a cooking juice obtained from crab apples or unripe grapes. It should be available online or in most supermarkets. If you prefer to avoid using a liquid containing alcohol and don’t have verjuice, a good substitute would be white wine vinegar.
• Saffron threads – Expensive but worth it for the distinct flavor. A little goes a long way to add an earthy, fruity flavor to your dish. It is important to allow the saffron threads to “bloom” in the liquid before adding it to the final mixture.
• Eggplant – Unpeeled, cut into 1-inch pieces. American, aka Globe, eggplant works well for this recipe. To select fresh, high-quality eggplant, look for a heavy, firm, and shiny eggplant with a bright green stem and no brown spots or wrinkles. They come in various sizes, but medium-sized eggplants are often considered to have the best flavor and fewer seeds.
• Kosher salt – If need be, table salt can be used with caution. Table salt is finer and more dense than kosher salt, so a teaspoon of table salt will contain more actual salt than a teaspoon of kosher salt. When substituting, use about two-thirds the amount of table salt specified in a recipe using kosher salt. 
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Extra-virgin olive oil – My first choice is always single source EVOO from Italy. Less processing = healthier more delicious olive oil.
• Tomato paste – Tomato paste adds a burst of umami, with its concentrated sweetness and mild acidity.
• Red onion – Finely chopped. Although any type of onion can be used here, red onions are recommended. They tend to be milder in flavor and slightly sweeter than other varieties.
• Clove of garlic – Peeled & crushed.
• Ground cumin – Cumin has a warm, earthy and slightly nutty taste with a hint of citrus. If necessary, you could substitute with a similar spice, ground coriander.
• Smoked paprika – Smoked paprika is made from red peppers that are dried and smoked over an oak fire before being dried and ground. This lends a strong smoky flavor that isn’t present in plain paprika.
• Canned plum tomatoes – Drained & left whole. My preference is to use organic whole San Marzano tomatoes.
• Pine nuts – Roasted or toasted. Also known as pignoli, pine nuts have a mild, buttery, and slightly sweet flavor, with a creamy texture.

While the saffron is soaking, get to work on the eggplant. There are times when I choose to peel my eggplant, but it is not recommended on this one. The skin helps to hold the chunky pieces together while you roast them in the skillet. 

A  note on the tomatoes. I use Cento San Marzano Organic Peeled Tomatoes. Every time.

They are never “mushy” or “badly broken” when I open the can. They work really well for this recipe since you want to end up with substantial pieces of stewed tomato with your finished dish.

• If your pine nuts are raw, give them a quick toast on the stovetop.
• Place them in a small dry non-stick pan.
• Cook them over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes.
• Stir constantly to avoid over-browning.

• This flavorful dish can be enjoyed as a snack with hummus.
• Or as a side dish over couscous with grilled chicken.
• The list is endless.

My favorite way to enjoy Moroccan Roasted Eggplant with Stewed Tomatoes…

As you can see here, my first choice is to pile it on top of a generous mound of homemade hummus.

Sprinkle those toasted pine nuts on the whole thing. You could even add some crumbled feta cheese. Why not, right?

Just be sure to include some pita bread – or maybe some homemade naan – for dipping into all that goodness. 

Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking through the link. I have personally experienced all of these products, and I recommend them because I have found them to be of superior quality.

Love eggplant?