Choosing just one recipe among the many excellent ones from Greece is a challenge, and mine has landed on an eggplant-based recipe, a particularly characteristic food of Greek cuisine.
It is a solanaceous plant with an edible fruit, originating in Asia and spread to Europe through Greece during the Arab invasion of the Early Middle Ages.
So, after the Indian eggplant masala and the Jordanian moutabel, I propose another sauce with eggplants: the melitzanosalata.
It belongs to the meze category, a term that refers in Greek cuisine to a series of appetizers – mostly creamy – traditionally starting meals.
Prepare the melitzanosalata in advance and store it in the refrigerator for at least a couple of hours: it will become even more flavorful and you can serve it cold.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very economical
- Portions: 4 servings
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Greek
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer
Ingredients
- 1.1 lbs eggplant
- 1 clove garlic
- 2.6 oz Greek yogurt
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- 4 leaves mint
- to taste salt and pepper
Preparation
Line a baking tray with parchment paper, place the eggplants pricked with a fork, washed and dried, and put in the oven for 30 minutes at 392 degrees Fahrenheit.
When cooked, remove them from the oven.
Let them cool, then remove the skin and extract the pulp.
Then put the eggplant pulp in a blender along with Greek yogurt, extra virgin olive oil, peeled garlic, salt, black pepper, and two mint leaves.
Blend until you get a smooth and homogeneous mixture.
Transfer the eggplant cream to a bowl, garnish with the remaining fresh mint leaves, and refrigerate before serving.
Storage:
Store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container or in a bowl covered with plastic wrap, for up to 3 days. 
Store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container or in a bowl covered with plastic wrap, for up to 3 days.
Store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container or in a bowl covered with plastic wrap, for up to 3 days.
VIDEO RECIPE:
You can also cook the eggplant in an air fryer, at 302°F for 20 minutes.
