Our take on the famous Armenian stuffed eggplant salad.

These rolled eggplant are exactly the kind of appetisers that will wow your guests this holiday season. They are simple to make and as an added bonus, they look so delightfully Christmassy with the dill and pomegranate seed garnish.  

Tender roasted eggplant strips are spread with a nutty and creamy garlic labneh then rolled into finger sized morsels. Serve as an easy vegetarian side dish or appetiser that can be even made ahead.

The filling is a flavourful mixture of homemade dripped yogurt cheese, known as labneh, (learn how to make that here), crushed walnuts, garlic, ground coriander and fresh dill. Together with roasted eggplant, the combination of flavours is a definite must try!

INGREDIENTS

2-3 eggplant (depending on size)
Olive oil to grease baking trays
1 cup homemade dripped yogurt cheese or labneh
1/3 cup finely crushed walnuts
1-2 cloves of garlic crushed
½ teaspoon of ground coriander seed
¼ teaspoon of salt plus extra to sprinkle on the eggplant
½ - 1 teaspoon of finely chopped fresh dill plus extra for garnishing
Pomegranate seeds for garnishing

METHOD

1.   The day before: Drip the homemade yogurt for minimum 8 hours.
2.   Preheat oven to 180C / 350F and grease 2 baking trays with olive oil.
3.   Remove the stem of the eggplant then cut lengthwise into ¼ inch slices.
4.   Arrange the slices on the greased tray and lightly season with salt.
5.   Bake for approx. 15 minutes or until softened throughout.

6.   Meanwhile, in a bowl combine the labneh, crushed walnuts, garlic, coriander and salt.
7.   Remove the eggplant from oven and let cool.
8.   Spread the labneh mixture on one side of the eggplant slice and then roll it up.
9.   Place the rolls on a serving plate and garnish with pomegranate seeds and fronds of fresh dill.
10.  Eggplant rolls with can be served either cold or at room temperature.
11.  Store in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
12.  The flavours intensify after a day in the fridge.

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