Presented here is a recipe for walnut and pomegranate stuffed roasted eggplant. Inspired by Japanese Miso glazed eggplant, I decided to give the dish a north Iranian Caspian twist. Namely by smearing the eggplant halves with a mixture of walnut, pomegranate molasses, and dried mint. Such a flavor profile is used to flavor the popular Caspian style green olive condiment, called "Zeytoon Parvardeh زیتون پرورده." The result was a delightful vegan dish with great texture and flavor, comparable to those of a great grilled piece of meat.
Ingredients:
2 medium Italian or (2 large Japanese) eggplants
3.52 Ounces (~100 gr) walnut (broken pieces are acceptable)
1 TBSP pomegranate molasses
1 TSP dried mint
1 TSP brown sugar
Virgin olive oil, as needed
Slice the eggplants in half. Using a knife, score each of the halves and form several small diamond shape sections on the surface. The slits should be deep and should nearly reach the skin. Set a large pan on medium high heat and add a very shallow layer of olive oil, heavily season the eggplants with salt and then sear the flesh side for two to three minutes. Turn the pieces around, add a dash of water, cover the pan, and cook for five to six minutes*. In the meantime, prepare the stuffing mixture by making a coarse puree from the remaining ingredients in a blender. Smear the halves with the mixture and arrange them on a baking tray. Roast the eggplants in a preheated 450F (~230C) oven for 15 minutes. Broil for a minute or two, if the surface is not well-browned.
* One can skip this step and instead increase the upcoming roasting time to 30 minutes.
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