Eggplant relish served at Schutzenfest A.S.46

Another recipe for dressed eggplant by him (ibn al-Mahdi) too
Al-Warraq, 10th century Baghdad

Boil eggplant and chop it into fine pieces. Take a platter, and pour on it a little vinegar, white sugar, ground almonds, saffron, caraway seeds, casia, [and mix]. Spread the [chopped] eggplant and fried onion all over the sauce. Drizzle some olive oil on the dish and serve it, God willing.

Translation from: How to Milk an Almond Stuff an Egg And Armor a Turnip: A Thousand Years of Recipes By David Friedman and Elizabeth Cook ISBN: 978-1-460-92498-3
http://www.daviddfriedman.com/Medieval/To_Milk_an_Almond.pdf Reprinted with permission.

16-24 servings as an appetizer

1 1/2 lb eggplants
½ cup ground almonds
½ lb onion (two medium)
8 threads saffron
2 Tbl olive oil
2 tsp caraway seeds
¼ cup vinegar
2 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbl sugar
olive oil for serving

Pot for boiling water and eggplants (whole)
Frying pan for onions
Knife for cutting
Knife for seeding
Food processor
spreader

Pierce eggplants several times, remove the green tops and boil for about ½ hour. Cool slightly and peel off skin, chop. Chop onion and fry in 2 Tbl olive oil until limp and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Combine almonds, spices, vinegar, and sugar in a food processor, mixing to a paste and adding water to thin. Spread paste thinly on the plate, dump on chopped eggplant and chopped onion, drizzle with olive oil.


The Honorable Lady Brigid ingen Maol-Mhichil of Northshield fame tested this recipe and offered the revised redaction. I am grateful for her support on my first feast.~~Sayyeda al-Kaslaania