Cooking with Aubergine
Recipes with Aubergine — Zaalouk and Moroccan Aubergine Dishes
Aubergine softens into something smoky and almost creamy under Moroccan cooking, most famously in zaalouk, the cooked salad of aubergine and tomato that appears on nearly every mezze spread. Cooks favour long, gentle cooking to break down the vegetable's spongy flesh fully rather than leaving it firm. This guide covers the classic Moroccan aubergine dishes, how to prepare it to avoid bitterness, and how to keep it from soaking up too much oil.
How Moroccans cook aubergine
Aubergine is usually peeled in stripes or fully, diced, and simmered down with tomato, garlic and spice until it collapses into a soft, spreadable texture, as in zaalouk. It is also fried in slices until golden and tender, or roasted whole over a flame until the skin blackens and the flesh turns smoky, a technique that adds real depth to dips and salads.
The best Moroccan recipes with aubergine
Zaalouk, a smoky, garlicky cooked salad of aubergine and tomato, is the essential dish, eaten with bread as part of any mezze spread. Fried aubergine slices, salted, dried and pan-fried until golden, are a simple side or sandwich filling. Aubergine and tomato tagine, sometimes with chickpeas, makes a hearty meat-free main. Roasted aubergine dip, blackened over an open flame before mashing, adds a deeper smokiness than the stovetop version.
Removing bitterness and excess oil
Salt sliced or diced aubergine and leave it to sit for twenty to thirty minutes, then pat dry — this draws out bitter juices and, just as importantly, means the flesh absorbs far less oil during cooking. Skip this step and aubergine can turn bitter and greasy at once, especially in older or larger specimens where the seeds have developed more.
Buying and prepping aubergine
Choose aubergines that feel heavy for their size with taut, glossy skin and no soft spots — these are younger and less bitter. Smaller aubergines generally have fewer seeds and a sweeter flesh than very large ones. Peel fully or in alternating stripes depending on the dish; zaalouk is usually made with the skin removed so the final texture is smooth.
Cook's tips
- Salt aubergine and let it sit twenty to thirty minutes before cooking to reduce bitterness and oil uptake.
- Choose aubergines that feel heavy with taut, glossy skin and no soft spots for the least bitterness.
- Roast whole aubergine over an open flame for a smokier flavour than stovetop cooking gives.
- Simmer zaalouk long and low until the aubergine fully collapses into a soft, spreadable texture.
- Pat salted aubergine dry before frying so it crisps rather than steaming in its own moisture.
Questions about cooking with Aubergine
What is zaalouk?
Zaalouk is a Moroccan cooked salad of aubergine and tomato, simmered with garlic, cumin and paprika until soft and smoky, then served at room temperature with bread as part of a mezze spread.
How do you stop aubergine being bitter?
Salt cut aubergine and let it rest for twenty to thirty minutes, then pat it dry before cooking. This draws out the bitter juices and also reduces how much oil the flesh absorbs.
Do you peel aubergine for zaalouk?
Most Moroccan cooks peel it fully for a smooth, uniform texture, though some leave a few skin stripes on for colour and a little extra texture in the final dish.
Why does aubergine soak up so much oil?
Its spongy flesh has lots of air pockets that absorb fat readily, especially when cut and cooked without salting first. Salting draws out moisture and firms the flesh, reducing oil absorption significantly.
Is zaalouk served hot or cold?
Zaalouk is traditionally served at room temperature, sometimes slightly warm, never piping hot straight from the pot, allowing the flavours to settle before it is scooped up with bread.
Cook these dishes with a local in Marrakech
Learn to handle aubergine the Moroccan way in a hands-on cooking class, or taste it across the medina on a guided food tour.