Nadir's Roasted Aubergines with Tahinia and Sahawig

Nadir's Hawaij Spiced Aubergines with Tahini and Sahawig

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I adore cooking this dish for guests. It's bright, fresh, comes together quickly, and has lots of table appeal to impress a gathering. The roasted aubergines perfectly soak in the earthiness of the fragrant Hawaij. With a zesty, tahini-based sauce, an acidic kick from sahawig (a spicy Yemeni chutney), and a final drizzle of date syrup, this dish is sweet, savoury, sour, and -bonus points-is so easy to make

- Nadir Nahdi

Ingredients

FOR THE EGGPLANT

2 large eggplants (about 2 pounds), cut into 1 ½ inch cubes
8 cups water
4 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon Hawaij Masala
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
Date syrup, for finishing

FOR THE SAHAWIG

3 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
3 green chillies
¼ cup cilantro leaves and tender stems
2 tablespoons mint leaves
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 2-3 lemons (about ¼ cup)
½ teaspoon kosher salt

FOR THE TAHINIA

½ cup tahini
2 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
Juice of 2-3 lemons (about ¼ cup)
2 green chillies
¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Methods

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Place the chopped eggplant in a large bowl filled with cold, salted water, and mix to lightly submerge. Set aside for one hour.
Drain the water from the eggplant, transfer to a kitchen towel, and pat very dry. Place the eggplant on a baking sheet , drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with the Hawaij, and toss with your hands till well coated. Transfer the tray to the oven and roast until the eggplant is crispy and deep golden brown, about 45 mins.
To make the sahawig, add ingredients to a small food processor and process 8-10 times, until the sauce is mostly smooth, but still has some texture. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
To make the tahinia, add the ingredients to the same small food processor. While the machine is running, slowly add room temperature water, up to 1 cup, until the sauce is smooth, spoonable, and fluffy.
To assemble, spread the tahinia onto a medium platter, top with the roasted eggplant, and spoon the sahawig on top. To finish, drizzle a generous amount of date syrup for a sweet kick, and enjoy!