Grilled eggplant with tzatziki

Serves: 4
Prep: 35
Cook: 40

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup uncooked red quinoa or wild rice (2 cup cooked)
  • ½ cup fresh parsley or mint leaves, roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 large eggplants, sliced
  • ¼ cup fresh marjoram or oregano leaves
  • ½ tsp iodised table salt
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Cucumber and yoghurt tzatziki:
  • 300ml or 1 ¼ cup Greek yoghurt
  • ½ large telegraph cucumber, grated
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint
  • 2 teaspoons snipped fresh dill, optional
  • freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

Method

  1. Step 1

    Cook quinoa or wild rice in boiling water until tender (approximately 10 minutes for quinoa and 25-30 minutes for wild rice). Drain and allow to cool slightly. Mix in the parsley or mint, extra virgin olive oil and season to taste.
  2. Step 2

    Preheat oven grill to 220°C. Slice the eggplants into 2cm slices. Lay flat on a tray lined with baking paper. Grind together the fresh marjoram or oregano leaves with the salt and garlic cloves in a spice blender or by hand in a mortar and pestle.
  3. Step 3

    Drizzle the eggplant slices with olive oil, and then sprinkle with half of the herb salt. Leave to rest for 5 minutes, before placing in the oven. Grill for 12 minutes. Remove and use tongs to turn each piece over and sprinkle with remaining herb salt.  Return to oven and grill for a further 12 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Alternatively, heat a grill frying pan and fry each of the eggplant pieces for 3-4 minutes on each side.
  4. Step 4

    Press any excess water out of the cucumber.  Combine the yoghurt, cucumber and crushed garlic in a medium bowl along with the vinegar, mint, dill if available. Season with freshly ground black pepper to taste. 
  5. Step 5

    Spread ½ cup per person of quinoa or rice onto a serving platter and then arrange the grilled eggplant slices on top. Drizzle over the tzatziki, and garnish with plenty of fresh herbs.