page_title: Eggplant salads and appetizers
section_title: Middle East, Caucasus, Africa
hierarchical_section_title: Eggplant salads and appetizers / Varieties / Middle East, Caucasus, Africa
caption_attribution_description: Русский: Баклажанная икра с гранатом
context_page_description: Many cuisines feature eggplant salads and appetizers.
context_section_description: Baba ghanoush (Arabic بابا غنوج bābā ghanūj) is a popular Levantine dish of eggplant (aubergine) mashed and mixed with various seasonings. Frequently the eggplant is baked or broiled over an open flame before peeling, so that the pulp is soft and has a smoky taste. Baba ghanoush is usually eaten as a dip with pita bread, and is sometimes added to other dishes. It is usually of an earthy light brown color. In Ethiopia, this dish is commonly known as blagadoush.
  Similar to baba ghanoush is another Levantine dish mutabbal (Arabic متبل lit. 'spiced'), which also includes mashed cooked aubergines and tahini, and mixed with salt, pepper, olive oil, and anar seeds. Mutabbal is sometimes said to be a spicier version of baba ghanoush.
  In Armenia the dish is known as mutabal. The essential ingredients in Armenian mutabal are eggplant, tahini, garlic, lemon, and onion; and most Armenians also add cumin.
  Georgian badrijnis khizilala ("aubergine caviar") is made of fried and chopped eggplants. Further typical ingredients are onions, garlic, pomegranate, hot red pepper, vegetable oil and fresh green cilantro.
  In Israel, the traditional version called salat ḥatzilim is made with mashed grilled aubergines, tahina, olive oil, lemon, garlic and parsley. A variation made with mayonnaise instead of tahini, called salat ḥatzilim b'mayonnaise, is also widely available.
  In Morocco, a fried eggplant dish made with tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, cumin, paprika and parsley is called zaalouk.
  Eggplant relish is middle eastern-north African dish. It is made of eggplant, salt, olive oil, lemon, and parsley. Several Egyptian versions of this food are made with cheese. It is commonly served hot. Eggplant relish is eaten on pita or bread.
  In Iranian cuisine, eggplant is prepared into an appetizer known as kashk e badamjan. It is made with whey sauce (kashk). This variant is also prepared in Turkish and Azerbaijani cuisines. A Northern Iranian eggplant dish, Mirza Ghassemi, also exists.
caption: Georgian Badrijnis khizilala
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