Zaalouk

Don't Make These Mistakes

Wait for the oil to separate. It is the only reliable sign, and it takes longer than the clock suggests.

Grate the tomatoes rather than chopping them — you want pulp, not pieces.

It is a room-temperature dish. Straight from the pan the flavours have not settled.

Making Zaalouk

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1. Put the aubergine, grated tomato, olive oil, garlic, paprika, cumin, salt and cayenne in a wide pan with 100 ml of water.

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2. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the aubergine is completely soft.

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3. Uncover and cook 15 minutes more, crushing the aubergine against the pan with a wooden spoon as you go.

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4. Keep going until the mixture is thick, glossy and the oil has separated out at the edges. This is the point at which it is ready and not before.

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5. Stir in the lemon juice and most of the herbs.

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6. Cool to room temperature, which is how it is served, and scatter the remaining herbs over.

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Related guide: Prep, cook and total time.

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What's Going On Here

Zaalouk is cooked far longer than seems necessary — forty minutes rather than fifteen — because the point is to drive off the water until the oil separates out at the edge of the pan. That separation is the signal it is done. Aubergine cooked briefly stays spongy and watery, and no amount of seasoning fixes it.

After You've Cooked It

Refrigerate up to 5 days; it is better on days two and three. Bring to room temperature before serving. Freezes 3 months.

Ingredient Swaps

• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the stand-in usually given when you are out of fresh garlic; it will not brown the same way, and it burns easily, so add it with the liquid.

Good With

• Khobz or any flatbread
• Other Moroccan salads, as part of a spread
• Mint tea

Questions and Answers

The Numbers per Serving

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.

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