Zaalouk زعلوك is a Moroccan eggplant salad or dip made from charred eggplants, bell peppers and tomatoes. This authentic recipe is rich and velvety, with a distinctive smoky flavor, balanced by the tanginess of fresh lemon juice, and finished with fresh herbs and a drizzle of olive oil.
I am Moroccan who has a deep appreciation for the flavors of Moroccan cuisine, in Morocco we do love our hot salads like the famous Shakshuka, Bakoula, Carrot Chermoula and Zaalouk.
Zaalouk is one of my favorite ways to cook eggplants and I love serving it with Moroccan bread.
If you're looking for other ways to enjoy eggplant a.k.a aubergine here is a quick Ratatouille recipe and this eggplant pasta.
Also try this 3 ingredient Moroccan salad.
Why I love this Zaalouk recipe
Versatile: warm or cold. salad, a side dish, or even a dip. Smooth or chunky texture. Eaten with crusty bread as part of a platter mezze with a variety of cooked Moroccan salads. It pairs well with a variety of other dishes and makes a base for a tasty sandwich
Low carb, vegetarian, vegan, dairy free and gluten free: all of these are by accident. I swear I didn't tweak it to fit into all of these diets.
Bold flavors: it is definitely not bland. The smokey flavor and tanginess give it a bold and special taste.
Healthy: a great way to add in more plant diversity and eggplants are rich in potassium and B vitamins.
Ingredients needed
Eggplant: pick a fresh eggplant with shiny smooth skin and vibrant consistent color.
Bell peppers: any colour eggplant will do but I like red and yellow if I have the choice.
Tomatoes: tomato flavors the dish if it's fresh,, ripe and vibrant red.
Cumin: add it towards the end of the cooking process as it gives a bitter taste if cooked from the beginning.
Paprika: I use sweet paprika but free free to use smoked paprika for an extra layer of smokiness.
Garlic: it is an important part of this dish adding its pungent aroma.
Olive oil: I like to use regular olive oil for frying in the beginning and extra virgin olive oil to drizzle at the end.
Lemon juice: sometimes the acidity in the tomatoes is not enough so depending on that I add a squeeze of lemon as I turn off the gas.
Fresh parsley: I highly recommend using fresh parsley and not dried.
Fresh cilantro: also fresh is best in this case.
Salt and ground black pepper: to season
How to make Zaalouk
Char the eggplant, tomatoes and bell peppers over an open flame until the skin is blackened and blistered, turning them occasionally for even cooking. Use tongs or a fork to handle the eggplant
Wrap them in parchment paper and set aside.
Peel the eggplant skin, bell peppers and tomatoes then chop them into small pieces separately. Keep the diced eggplant and bell peppers apart from the tomatoes.
In a large pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil, then add the crushed garlic. Cook for 30 seconds.
Do not let it burn.
Stir in the chopped tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes.
Add in the rest of the ingredients then increase the heat to high
Keep stirring until the oil separates from the vegetables.
Add in some chopped coriander and parsley, a drizzle of lemon juice and turn off the heat.
Garnish with some more fresh coriander and parsley, some lemon slices and extra virgin olive oil.
Notes and expert tips
- Have everything prepped and ready on hand: chop your parsley and crush your garlic, have your eggplant pieces ready, bell peppers and tomatoes chopped and ready because once we start working on high heat we need to continually stir.
- Some older members of my family are picky and don't enjoy the intense smoky flavor of eggplants, so I found a happy medium when preparing Zaalouk. To avoid the overpowering taste, I started grilling one eggplant for every steamed one.
- Tomato paste is completely optional. Some families just use a teaspoon but mine doesn't so I left it out.
- Fresh ingredients always taste best.
For a smooth texture, you can mash the Zaalouk with a potato masher or the back of a fork. Personally, I prefer it chunky, so I leave it as is.
You can count portion sizes by making one medium eggplant/aubergine per person. Bear in mind that we need two tomatoes and 2 bell peppers per 3 medium eggplant/aubergines.
Zaalouk Variations
Cooking method
You can roast your eggplant, bell peppers, tomatoes in the oven or air fryer. Just brush them with very little olive oil.
Instead of roasting all the vegetables you can just roast the eggplant which is really the star of the show here and just fry the tomatoes.
Ingredients
You can add cayenne pepper or chili pepper for an extra kick of heat.
You can omit using bell peppers and just use eggplant and fresh tomatoes.
instead of using fresh tomatoes you can replace them with canned chopped tomatoes, tomato puree or a spiced tomato sauce if you're feeling adventurous.
Serving suggestions
- As a warm salad : Zaalouk is often served as a room temperature appetizer, dip or side dish with pita bread or Moroccan crusty bread It can also be used as a spread for your lunch time sandwich with fresh bread. It is also perfect enjoyed cold.
- I usually serve it with fish dinners or alongside barbecued Kebab, meat or chicken.
- Another quick lunch or dinner idea is to serve it with boiled eggs, a quick potato salad.
Storage instructions
Store leftover Zaalouk in an airtight container. You can make it last in the fridge for up to 10 days if you make sure there is no moisture left by cooking it on high heat. and used as a spread in sandwiches or dipped with pitta bread. Although I like to always make a bigger batch to last me at least a couple of days it rarely passes the next day mark.
They both originate from the middle east but baba ghanoush primarily consists of roasted eggplant, tahini (sesame paste), garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil with more of a creamy texture than Zaalouk which is Moroccan eggplant dip is more rustic and chunky and it originates from North Africa.
Yes, once the Zaalook has cooled, transfer it to a flattened freezer bag and store it in the freezer for up to two months.
Zaalouk
Ingredients
- 1 eggplant
- 2 bell peppers
- 2 tomatoes
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoon fresh coriander
- 2 tablespoon fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- salt to taste
- ground black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice optional
Instructions
- Char the eggplant, tomatoes and bell peppers over an open flame until the skin is blackened and blistered, turning them occasionally for even cooking. Use tongs or a fork to handle the eggplant.
- Peel the eggplant skin, then chop the eggplant flesh, bell peppers, and tomatoes into small pieces separately. Keep the diced eggplant and bell peppers apart from the tomatoes.
- In a large pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil, then add the crushed garlic. After 30 seconds, stir in the chopped tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes. Add in the rest of the ingredients then increase the heat to high.
- Add in some chopped coriander and parsley, a drizzle of lemon juice and turn off the heat.
- Garnish with some more fresh coriander and parsley and extra virgin olive oil.
