Salată de Vinete — Print Recipe

Smoky, creamy roasted eggplant hand-chopped to a rustic texture, mixed with raw onion and a generous pour of sunflower oil.

Ingredients

3 large eggplants
1 small white onion, very finely minced
4 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
Salt to taste

Instructions

1 Roast whole eggplants directly over a gas flame or on a grill, turning frequently, until completely collapsed and charred on all sides (about 20 min).
2 Place charred eggplants in a colander and let drain for 30 min to remove bitter liquid.
3 Peel off all charred skin. Squeeze out remaining liquid gently.
4 Chop the eggplant flesh by hand on a wooden board with a wooden or ceramic knife (metal can cause bitterness). Chop to a coarse, rustic texture.
5 Mix with finely minced onion, sunflower oil, lemon juice, and salt.
6 Serve at room temperature with fresh bread and tomato slices.

Did You Know?

Romanians insist you must never use a metal knife or food processor for vinete — only hand-chopping with a wooden or ceramic blade preserves the proper texture.