Chatzilim Baladi

[riv91]

I just got back from Israel and had Chatzil baladi (whole roasted eggplant topped with techina and some other stuff) in several different restaurants (the best was a dairy version with feta cheese at Gabriela on the Midrachov in Jerusalem).

Does anyone have a recipe or method for making this at home? Two of my favorite ingredients --eggplant and techina--but I'd love a starting point from someone who's done it, or has found a recipe for it.

Thanks!

[cresyd]

In order to recreate those really wonderful flavors a very important element is making sure that you roast the eggplant over a flame (either just on a gas range or a grill) to give it that smokey flavor.

After you get the eggplant smoked to the preferred consistency, then it's a bit of guess and check with a nice tehina and other flavors you may enjoy (I've had it with either thyme or mint added - and personally prefer the thyme - also sometimes sumac or chopped tomatoes).

[deejw]

http://www.cookinisrael.com/eggplant_...

try this one - it looks like what I remember eating in Israel.

[AdinaA]

Try Imam bayildi

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/848142

wonderful, wonderful, wonderful

[GilaB]

I don't have any personal experience, but if you Google eggplant baladi, you get many recipes that all seem to involve techina, so you might want to start there.

[zsero]

No idea, but just a note that "Baladi" means "local". So "chatzilim baladi" means "eggplants as we prepare them in this country". If you were to make it in America, it wouldn't be "baladi", and you'd have to call it "Israeli eggplant" or something.