Eggplant Tostada
May 14, 2010 • Category: Sandwiches
I switched from eggplant fattoush,a salad from our sister city, Damascus (Syria), to an eggplant tostada. Instead of making pita croutons and frying them, I figured I would save time and effort and present the eggplant salad on a pita, grilled instead of fried. A sprinkle of halloumi (or other) cheese, not traditional, but needed to beef up this light meal.
The difference between the Syrian version and ours is that they use pomegranate molasses and we use sumac. Yummy either way.
INGREDIENTS: 2 servings
- 1 large eggplant, peeled, sliced and sprinkled with salt and left to drain in a sieve over a bowl.
- a handful of parsley, chopped or a few basil leaves, torn
- 1 small green pepper
- 2 or 3 green onions
- 1 large organic tomato, seeded and cut in dice
- 2/3 cup grated Halloumi cheese (or any other grilling cheese)
- 1 (at least day-old) pita bread, split open
- DRESSING: 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1/2 tablespoon of pomegranate molasses, 1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice, salt, pepper
METHOD:
- Can be done earlier that day: rinse and dry the eggplant slices; cut in dice. Heat some olive oil in a skillet and fry the eggplant for 10 minutes or so until they are golden all over.
- Drain on paper towels and set aside. Split the pita open and brush it with a cloud of olive oil. Place on a cookie sheet lined with foil. Toast for about 7 minutes until crispy but not brown.
- Sprinkle the eggplants on top, then the onion, tomatoes, green pepper and cheese.
- Broil (or toast some more) for about 3 minutes, watching it to make sure it does not burn. Pull it out of the oven, sprinkle with basil or parsley, the dressing and serve immediately.
NOTE: if you don’t have any pomegranate molasses, use sumac instead and more lemon.
Comments
69 Comments • Comments Feed
Sue says:
This looks delicious! I think it’s so smart to mix the ingredients you have on hand with the ones that you like the most – sumac and grilled halloumi. I would really love a bite. I guess I’ll have to make it myself. 🙂
On May 14, 2010 at 5:14 pm
XiaoYen says:
This looks so healthy and delicious. I’m not so sure if I can find promegranate molasses though.
On May 14, 2010 at 5:38 pm
Rosa says:
That looks incredibly good! I love the idea!
Cheers,
Rosa
On May 14, 2010 at 5:49 pm
aqua says:
This looks so delicious! You’ve just given me a great idea to use up leftover chapatis.
On May 14, 2010 at 7:29 pm
Claudia says:
This is scrumptioous – the eggplant, the cheese, the pomegranate molasses – just a beautiful winning combination.
On May 14, 2010 at 7:45 pm
KennyT says:
This is amazing! I enjoy reading your posts and it’s a great chance for me to know more about your country and culture. Thanks!
On May 14, 2010 at 9:04 pm
Marie says:
I have that exact pom molasses, never even opened it yet! I love coming here!
On May 14, 2010 at 9:26 pm
Geetika says:
That looks delicious! 🙂
On May 14, 2010 at 9:42 pm
Grapefruit says:
What a great twist on a fattoush salad (which I love, second only to tabbouleh)! Love it! Thanks for the inspiration.
On May 14, 2010 at 11:53 pm
sweetlife says:
this looks amazing, i love any kind of tostada…but with eggplant yum!!
sweetlife
On May 15, 2010 at 12:13 am
Toni says:
Oh my…I think I just discovered my new favorite dish! Personally, I’d love to try it both ways – with sumac and with pomegranate molasses.
On May 15, 2010 at 12:43 am
Cherine says:
This looks absolutely yummy!!!
On May 15, 2010 at 1:33 am
3hungrytummies says:
It looks fantastic! I just got a book on Lebanese cooking and I am loving it! 🙂
On May 15, 2010 at 1:47 am
Sushma Mallya says:
so lovely & delicious tostado
On May 15, 2010 at 2:00 am
meredith says:
That looks so good!
On May 15, 2010 at 4:28 am
nisha says:
i have a large egg plant with me and i ahve no clue what to do with it…my husband and myself are not big fans of egg plant but curiosity got the better of me and i wanted 2 give it a shot…instead of doing something Indian, this looks like a more interesting recipe…
On May 15, 2010 at 4:48 am
Ilse says:
Not very familiar with Lebanese cooking but it all looks very scrumptious – will have to try them!
On May 15, 2010 at 5:40 am
deana says:
I love pomegranate molasses… my favorite thing is merguez with mint and that molasses… oh my. I did have an eggplant salad once with the molasses and mint and pomegranate seeds… to die for as I believe this will be. Interesting to know the difference in Syria and Lebanon!
On May 15, 2010 at 5:41 am
Not Quite Nigella says:
What a great recipe-I have so much pomegranate molasses too! 😀
On May 15, 2010 at 5:49 am
Joan Nova says:
Nice topping combination. I do these little pizzettes frequently. I satisfy a longing for pizza with less calories than more traditional denser pizzas.
On May 15, 2010 at 6:15 am
Suman says:
thats so healthy looking tostada…love egg plants..yummy…
On May 15, 2010 at 6:28 am
Priya says:
Beautiful tostada, looks tooo delicious..
On May 15, 2010 at 6:48 am
Angie's Recipes says:
Looks like a healthy version of veggie pizza :-)) I like the idea.
On May 15, 2010 at 7:33 am
TastyTrix says:
Cool, so is this Syrian Tex Mex (Styrian?) or Lebanese Tex Mex (Texanese)? Nice invention!
On May 15, 2010 at 7:43 am
Stella says:
Hey Joumana, I always see that pomegranite stuff by Cortas next to the rosewater & orange blossom water. I never really knew what to do with it. Nice, now I know at least one application…
By the way, there is a virus going around, so forgive me if I’ve been absent. I start to look at other people’s blogs, and then I stop feeling like I’m being careless. Hope you and your blog are doing well (smile)…
Stella
On May 15, 2010 at 7:43 am
Velva says:
If we ate so fresh and healthy like this on a regular basis we would all feel good. I love eggplant and served up tostada style, with a good cheese, fresh tomato, onion, parsley and a drizzle of olive oil. Just delicious!
This post really highlights the upcoming summer months.
On May 15, 2010 at 7:53 am
Daniel@CocinaSavant says:
This tostada looks absolutely delicious. It will be the perfect dish for those nice eggplants that will be swarming the farmers market before long. I really like the thoughtful creative quality of your blog, and thanks for stopping by ours.
On May 15, 2010 at 9:18 am
elra says:
what a fantastic idea of spitting the pita bread, then toasting until crispy … I like the idea a lot. Lovely topping for tostada, eggplant is our family favorite.
On May 15, 2010 at 9:26 am
peter says:
The possibilities are endless here, aren’t they? The pita bread is the palate…paint it with your fridge’s leftovers and odds and ends…good things to eat!
On May 15, 2010 at 10:05 am
Patty Price says:
I like this recipe and the photos, delicious combination of ingredients, eggplant is a wonderful thing!
On May 15, 2010 at 10:09 am
Vanessa says:
What a fantastic idea! I love anything with eggplant and halloumi. So colourful, inspiring and wonderfully photographed by you.
On May 15, 2010 at 10:17 am
SYLVIA says:
The deliciously smoky flavor of the eggplant, and tartness of the pomegranate molasses compliment each other beautifully together , since eggplant is like a sponge and absorbs a lot of oil, I always grill them to reduce the fat content. How good does this look with such a pretty combination of colors. Joumana, you know how to entertain with simplicity and style.
On May 15, 2010 at 10:53 am
Jennifer says:
This does look truly delicious! Pomegranate molasses sound divine.
On May 15, 2010 at 11:27 am
Mathai says:
Nice idea! thanks for sharing!
On May 15, 2010 at 11:37 am
Kerstin says:
I love eggplant! This looks amazing!
On May 15, 2010 at 12:17 pm
Katerina says:
I love pitta bread and you can do so many combinations. What you have created has all the right ingredients for success. I like it very much
On May 15, 2010 at 12:43 pm
Doria says:
Très jolies photos qui mettent en appétit !
Je te souhaite une bonne fin de soirée de ce samedi,
Bisous, Doria
On May 15, 2010 at 1:37 pm
Erica says:
This looks delicious!!!We have tostadas in Colombia and they are made with green plantain and topped with different ingredients….similar to yours!!! Great pictures as usual.
On May 15, 2010 at 1:56 pm
Soma says:
I will call this a healthy pizza with my favorite things topped. Mmmm… and the options are endless with this kind.
On May 15, 2010 at 2:21 pm
recettes gourmandes says:
j’aime beaucoup ta recette surtout avec les aubergines, bravo
On May 15, 2010 at 3:08 pm
grace says:
i love the bits of info you offer–as someone who has loved every bite of middle eastern food she’s ever eaten, i appreciate learning the subtle differences among the cuisines of various regions. this plate of food looks terrific–i have no doubt it would also be enjoyed and devoured by me. 🙂
On May 15, 2010 at 3:24 pm
Magdalena says:
Joumana, I like all the ingredients, it looks very tasty; but I have never tried halloumi – that’s time to find it here ! Take care 🙂
On May 15, 2010 at 3:56 pm
T.W. Barritt says:
What beautiful, fresh colors! I could take a bite right out of that photo!
On May 15, 2010 at 4:10 pm
heni says:
Very interesting use of aubergine Joumana! I have some waiting in the fridge – i think i will try this out for lunch tomorrow!
On May 15, 2010 at 4:23 pm
Pj says:
that looks so colorful and delicious! i love the idea of splitting open pita breads as a base for pizza.
On May 15, 2010 at 7:05 pm
kellypea says:
My goodness this sounds fabulous! It’s a bit challenging to find haloumi around here but I’ve tracked it down a few times. As for the sumac, we had wild sumac growing in our backyard years ago. A fairly heady fragrance when cut. I’d love to try this recipe.
On May 15, 2010 at 7:10 pm
Christine @ Fresh says:
I’m always looking for ways to use eggplants. This looks like a great recipe!
On May 15, 2010 at 7:27 pm
citronetvanille says:
Encore un petit plat comme j’aime, avec tous ces parfums qui rappellent la Méditerranée ca sent le soleil! je ne savais pas que le haloumi pouvait etre râpé!J’adore le Sumac, mais jamais essayé la molasse de grenade. Je garde ca en tête..
On May 15, 2010 at 8:30 pm
PJ says:
That’s a lovely dish which i would love to try and beautiful clicks!!!
On May 16, 2010 at 1:07 am
pierre says:
salut joumana
je n’ai pas été conquis par la mélasse de grenade ; j’aime plutot la grenade toute seule !! mais ta tostade me tente bcp !! bizz de la capitale enfin sous le soleil !! Pierre
On May 16, 2010 at 5:02 am
Joanne says:
I have been LOVING pomegranate molasses lately. What a fabulous dressing and a cute “mini pizza”. Err. Tostada.
On May 16, 2010 at 5:03 am
john@heneedsfood says:
I’ll take any chance to use my trusty bottle of pomegranate molasses. You’ve just given me one more delicious reason to pop that cap!
On May 16, 2010 at 5:25 am
El says:
This is a fabulous combination of flavors and it’s so elegantly presented. I am bookmarking this page so that I can make it when the fresh eggplant hits the farmers markets. Gorgeous!
On May 16, 2010 at 6:51 am
Jen_from_NJ says:
I adore eggplant so this is a must try for me. Looks delicious!
On May 16, 2010 at 9:58 am
Faith says:
This tostada looks like the perfect use for eggplant! The pomegranate molasses sounds delicious in this recipe.
On May 16, 2010 at 1:38 pm
courtney aka glamah says:
Great tip about the sumac sub for the pomegranate molasses. I wanted to comment on the potato globe but couldn’t. Love the concept of that dish and beautiful post.
On May 16, 2010 at 7:00 pm
Mimi says:
So yummy I can’t wait until my eggplants ripen.
Mimi
On May 16, 2010 at 11:22 pm
cna training says:
My cousin recommended this blog and she was totally right keep up the fantastic work!
On May 16, 2010 at 11:37 pm
joudie kalla says:
YUMM YUMM YUMM!
On May 17, 2010 at 3:07 am
A Canadian Foodie says:
What a great idea. I have never used an eggplant as a cracker. Cucumber: yes; eggplant: no. And I love the tang that pomegranate molasses brings to a dish. This is a great summer snack and appetizer, or side idea.
🙂
Valerie
On May 17, 2010 at 7:05 am
gourmandelise says:
Très jolie tarte fine!
Elle doit etre très bonne!
On May 17, 2010 at 8:01 am
Camille says:
Wow, sounds fablulous! I love the gave an old recipe a new twist!
On May 17, 2010 at 10:40 am
Nancy says:
This looks divine! I love pomegranate molasses.
On May 17, 2010 at 12:53 pm
alizegitrutle says:
сайт обо всём на свете lampara
On July 30, 2010 at 1:48 am
domi says:
Excellentissime cette ” pizza ” un vrai régal…bravissimo!!!!!
On April 10, 2011 at 3:06 pm
Mona says:
So so delicious! I made it on an Afghan bread instead and used the Sumac. It was so delicious I just can’t wait to make it again. Thank you so much for this amazing vegetarian recipe!
On September 26, 2012 at 6:36 pm
Joumana says:
@Mona: My pleasure!
On September 26, 2012 at 9:33 pm