Romanian Eggplant Salad - Vinete
The recipe for the traditional Romanian eggplant or aubergine salad or spread, made with roasted eggplants and mayonnaise or oil.
Prep Time30 minutes mins
Cook Time40 minutes mins
Total Time1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
Course: Dips, Sauces and Dressings
Cuisine: Romanian
Servings: 10 -12 servings
Calories: 82kcal
Eggplants:
- 3 medium eggplants
- parsley
- bread and tomatoes to serve
Mayonnaise dressing:
- 2-4 tablespoons homemade mayonnaise or your favorite brand, to taste
- 2-3 garlic cloves to taste
- salt and pepper
Oil and onion dressing:
- 3-4 tablespoons sunflower oil I prefer a milder sort
- 1 small onion
- salt and pepper
Grill method (Note 1):
Grill the eggplants on a temperature medium-low to low somewhere between 20 to 40 minutes or until the skin is evenly charred, and the eggplant collapses, the flesh should be really soft.3 eggplants
Stovetop method:
Put some foil around the burners of the stovetop to make sure that the liquid released by the eggplants won't cause too much of a mess. Prick the eggplants with a fork several times and lay them directly on the flame of the burners.
Turn regularly with a pair of tongs, making sure that the skin is burnt on all sides. Cook until the skin is evenly charred and the flesh of the eggplants very soft. This should take about 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of the eggplants.
Roasted Eggplant Salad - Vinete:
Peel and drain: After grilling, roasting, or baking the eggplants, let them cool, then carefully remove all the skin. Place the eggplants in a sieve and let drain for about half an hour to one hour.
Chop with a special wooden knife made especially for this purpose (if you are Romanian and have one, of course) or with a regular knife. You could process the eggplants in the food processor; the salad will then have a mousse-like consistency, which is delicious but not very authentic. I prefer to chop the salad rather roughly so that I have something to chew here and there.
- See the post for a more detailed description of the cooking methods.
Serving: 2-3 tablespoons | Calories: 82kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 90mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g