Warm Eggplant Salad with Red Onion, crispy Garlic and Tahini

A snack supper for 4 or part of a Mezze lunch

4 medium eggplant, cut into 2 ½ - 3 cm cubes (they shrink)

2 red onions cut into 2 – 3 cm cubes

6 – 8 garlic cloves, banged with the flat side of a cooks knife (so squashed)

½ c vegetable oil or olive oil for roasting

3 T tahina

1 T lemon juice

½ - 2/3 cup cold water

½ tsp chili flakes

Maldon salt to taste

2 T toasted sesame seeds

A handful of Mint or Parsley leaves to garnish (pick or roughly chop if you’d prefer)

2 T moskonfyt/honey/pomegranate molasses to drizzle (optional)

Heat the oven to 200°C.

Toss the vegetables with the oil and arrange in single file on a baking paper lined baking sheet. Tuck the squashed garlic under some of the other vegetables for protection.  They will become a little crispy while protected by their friends.  Roast for 15 – 25 minutes until they are tender and beautifully coloured.

Whisk the tahini, lemon juice, water, chili and a pinch of salt in a bowl til you have a lovely creamy dressing.  Add more water if you think it looks too thick.

Arrange the roasted vegetables in a bowl or in a pile on a platter.  Season with flaked sea salt and black pepper.  Drizzle over the tahini dressing and scatter the toasted sesame seeds over the pile.  Drizzle over the moskonfyt or honey if you’d like a bit of sweetnesss. Garnish generously with the herbs.