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Kalliopi's KitchenGreek food recipes

Vegetables

Aubergine

Μελιτζάνα · Melitzana

Fresh aubergines, a central vegetable in Greek cooking
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Aubergine arrived in Greece through Byzantine and later Ottoman contact with Persian and Arab cooking, where the vegetable had already been in use for far longer, and it settled into Greek cooking so thoroughly that it now anchors some of the cuisine's best known dishes: moussaka's base layer, melitzanosalata's smoky puree, and countless fried, baked and stuffed preparations besides.

Salting sliced or diced aubergine and leaving it to drain for twenty minutes to an hour before cooking is a genuinely old technique, developed originally to draw out the bitterness that older aubergine varieties carried. Modern varieties are bred to be far less bitter than they once were, but salting still serves a real purpose: it draws out excess water, which means the flesh fries and roasts rather than steams, and it firms the texture so the vegetable holds its shape.

For melitzanosalata specifically, charring the whole aubergine directly over a flame or under a hot grill until the skin blackens and blisters, rather than simply roasting it whole in the oven, is what gives the dip its genuinely smoky character. That step is not optional if the dip is meant to taste like the version served in a proper taverna.

Recipes with aubergine

18 recipes on the site using it.

A tray of Greek moussaka with a browned bechamel top, one square lifted outMoussakaMousakas ΜουσακάςMain Courses · 1h 55m · serves 8A bowl of rough-textured aubergine dip with olive oil, parsley and a scattering of walnutsSmoky Aubergine DipMelitzanosalata ΜελιτζανοσαλάταDips and Sauces · 45m · serves 6A tray of collapsed roasted Greek vegetables, browned at the edges and glossy with olive oilBriamBriam ΜπριάμMain Courses · 2h · serves 6Greek papoutsakia stuffed aubergine boats topped with golden bechamelStuffed Aubergine "Little Shoes"Papoutsakia ΠαπουτσάκιαMain Courses · 1h 30m · serves 6Golden fried Greek aubergine slices with tzatzikiFried Aubergine SlicesMelitzanes tiganites Μελιτζάνες τηγανητέςSide Dishes · 45m · serves 4Greek melitzanes imam baked aubergine with onion and tomatoAubergine Baked with Onion and TomatoMelitzanes imam Μελιτζάνες ιμάμMain Courses · 1h 20m · serves 4Greek melitzanes me feta baked aubergine with tomato and melted fetaBaked Aubergine with Feta and TomatoMelitzanes me feta Μελιτζάνες με φέταMain Courses · 1h 5m · serves 4Fried aubergine slices topped with garlic yogurt and paprika butterAubergine in Yogurt SauceMelitzanes se saltsa giaourtiou Μελιτζάνες σε σάλτσα γιαουρτιούMain Courses · 55m · serves 4Vegan Greek melitzanes gemistes stuffed aubergine halvesVegan Stuffed Aubergine with RiceMelitzanes gemistes Μελιτζάνες γεμιστέςMain Courses · 1h 40m · serves 6Grilled Aubergine SkewersSouvlaki melitzanas Σουβλάκι μελιτζάναςMain Courses · 37m · serves 4A slice of Greek melitzanopita aubergine and feta phyllo pieAubergine and Feta PieMelitzanopita ΜελιτζανόπιταBreads and Pies · 1h 35m · serves 8A pot of Greek melitzanes yahni aubergine and tomato stewChunky Aubergine and Tomato StewMelitzanes yahni Μελιτζάνες γιαχνίMain Courses · 1h 10m · serves 4Pickled AubergineMelitzanes toursi Μελιτζάνες τουρσίDips and Sauces · 45m · serves 12Aubergine-wrapped Greek dolmades in tomato sauceAubergine-Wrapped Rice RollsDolmades me melitzana Ντολμάδες με μελιτζάναMain Courses · 1h 30m · serves 6A bowl of smoky Greek melitzanosalata dip with charred aubergine skin nearbyCharcoal-Smoked Aubergine DipMelitzanosalata kapnisti Μελιτζανοσαλάτα καπνιστήDips and Sauces · 45m · serves 6A jar of Greek melitzanaki glyko candied baby aubergine spoon sweetCandied Baby Aubergine Spoon SweetMelitzanaki glyko Μελιτζανάκι γλυκόDesserts · 2h 15m · serves 16Roasted Eggplant SoupMelitzanosoupa ΜελιτζανόσουπαSoups · 1h 5m · serves 4Hunkiar begienti, lamb in tomato sauce over smoked aubergine pureeLamb on Smoked Aubergine PureeHounkiar begienti Χουνκιάρ μπεγιεντίMain Courses · 2h 20m · serves 6

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