Zaalouk is a flavor-packed Moroccan Eggplant Salad that’s excellent as an appetizer or side dish! Mashed eggplants cooked with tomatoes and seasoned with warm, aromatic spices. Top with fresh cilantro for that hint of freshness, and you’ll surely ask for seconds!
Every region in Morocco has its way of making zaalouk — I’ve seen some with more tomatoes in it, some with bigger chunks of eggplants, and some with even more spices.
Regardless of how they prepare it, one thing is constant: the locals generally enjoy it with the Moroccan bread, khobz.
How to serve Moroccan eggplant salad?
It’s excellent with grilled fish or meat, as a dip or a spread.
Plus, zaalouk can be served cold, warm, or at room temp — just take your pick. 🙂
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Ingredients
- Eggplants – as shown in the image above, European eggplants are used in this recipe, but you can also use the smaller round ones.
- Olive oil – extra virgin olive oil would be excellent for making zaalouk.
- Crushed tomatoes – just use your favorite brand of canned tomatoes.
- Garlic – minced or grated.
- Lemon – you will use lemon juice to provide freshness and to balance the flavor of your Moroccan eggplant salad.
- Honey – for that hint of sweetness.
- Coriander – also called ‘cilantro‘ in some parts of the world.
- Spices and seasoning – for this zaalouk recipe, you will need cumin, cayenne, paprika, and salt.
How to make zaalouk
Start by heating the oil on a large skillet.
Add garlic and saute until it becomes fragrant.
Add the spices cumin, paprika, and cayenne, then cook for at least a minute, mixing them all the time to avoid burning them.
Add the chopped eggplants.
Mix to coat the eggplants with the spices.
Add salt, lemon juice, honey, and crushed tomatoes.
Combine everything, cover with a lid, and adjust the heat to medium-low.
Simmer for forty to forty-five minutes or until the eggplants are soft — mix occasionally to make sure nothing sticks at the bottom of the pan.
Remove the lid and mash the eggplants.
Taste your zaalouk and adjust the balance of flavor as you see fit — by adding salt or lemon juice.
Continue cooking uncovered for eight to ten minutes or until there’s no liquid left.
Add the coriander leaves, then mix.
Remove the pan of Moroccan eggplant salad from the heat and transfer it to plates.
Garnish with more coriander, if desired — then serve!
Helpful tips
- Do not skip (or rush) the step for cooking the spices, but make sure you don’t, so adjust the heat as necessary.
- Start with only half of the lemon juice; just add more later on — after tasting.
Recipe variation
Aside from adding more tomatoes or chopping the eggplants bigger if you prefer a chunky zaalouk, you can also:
- Add roasted bell pepper. Green or red bell peppers are typically used.
- Peel the eggplants. Some feel that the skin of the eggplants is too hard for its mashed pulp, so they peel them before chopping.
So, how about it? Try this zaalouk recipe tonight — and make sure you got khobz ready as well!
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📖 Recipe
Zaalouk Recipe (Moroccan Eggplant Salad)
Equipment
- Large Pan/Skillet with Lid (3.5 qt)
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium eggplants, chopped no bigger than 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes
- 1 & 1/4 cups crushed tomatoes
- 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/2 to 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- 2 tablespoons fresh coriander, chopped (plus more for garnish)
- salt, to season
Instructions
- Place a pan over medium heat, then add oil.
- Once the oil is ready, saute garlic until it becomes fragrant.
- Add cumin, paprika, and cayenne, then cook for at least a minute, mixing them all the time to avoid burning them.
- Add the eggplants and mix to coat them with the spices.
- Add salt, lemon juice, honey, and crushed tomatoes.
- Mix everything, cover with a lid, and adjust the heat to medium-low.
- Simmer for forty to forty-five minutes or until the eggplants are soft — mix occasionally to make sure nothing sticks at the bottom of the pan.
- Remove the lid and mash the eggplants.
- Taste your Moroccan eggplant and tomato salad, then adjust the balance of flavor as you see fit — by adding salt or lemon juice.
- Continue cooking uncovered for eight to ten minutes or until there's no liquid left.
- Add the coriander leaves, then mix.
- Remove the pan of zaalouk from the heat and transfer to serving plates.
- Garnish with more coriander — then enjoy!
Notes
- Cook’s Tip: Do not skip cooking the spices, but make sure you don’t burn them, so adjust the heat as necessary.
- Refer to the post for more tips and substitutions.
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