Grilled eggplant salad with black rice and pomegranate

black rice is the new brown
When summer hits, my love for the oven takes a long hiatus. Sound familiar? Summer in Australia is rather hot and I know I may sound just a little strange but I don’t really enjoy relying on air conditioning all the time. I like to be aligned with the elements and use this time to enjoy lighter, more fresh and hydrating meals. Smoothies, loaded salads.. think, fresh.
So with Summer coinciding with Christmas here in Australia I thought I best get creating some lovely gems to share and enjoy myself with friends and family. I wanted this salad to be vibrant, fresh, hearty, interesting and above all delicious.
I’ve chosen to grill eggplants to add some earthiness, include black rice to bulk it up and add a nice nutty aroma, and lots of fresh herbs and pomegranate to bring it to life.
I think the addition of herbs and pomegranate actually make this dish perfect to present on Christmas day. There is just something quite special about it and the flavours are just beautiful.

If you make this recipe, I would love to hear from you. Either drop me a comment below or tag me in your social media posts.

Talitha xx

 

Yields6 Servings
Prep Time20 minsCook Time30 minsTotal Time50 mins
 2 cups cooked and cooled black rice
 2 g medium - large eggplants
 ¼ cup olive oil (plus more for grilling)
 3 spring onions, finely sliced
 1 pomegranate, seeds and juice
 ½ cup fresh mint leaves, finely shredded
 ½ cup coriander, finely shredded
 400 g can of lentils, drained and rinsed
 2 tbsp white wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice
 ¼ cup toasted almonds, roughly chopped
 Salt & pepper
Yoghurt dressing
 1 large lemon, juice only
 ½ cup natural coconut yoghurt
 1 clove of garlic, minced
 pinch of salt
1

Cook rice to packet instructions and set aside to cool.

2

Brush sliced eggplant with some olive oil and heat a char-grill or fry pan over high heat. Add the Eggplant to the pan and cook for approximately 5- 7 minutes until tender and dark golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

3

Prepare the dressing by adding all ingredients into a small mixing bowl and giving it a good whisk, set aside until you;re ready to serve.

4

Add all salad ingredients including the rice and eggplant (reserve a handful of pomegranate) and give the salad a gentle toss to combine.

5

Arrange salad on a platter and sprinkle with the reserved pomegranate and some crunchy almonds. Serve the yoghurt dressing on the side.

6

Tip: if you're using two colours, first drizzle the desired amount of white chocolate over the top before adding a few drops of colour to the remaining chocolate and drizzling over the top.

 

Ingredients

 2 cups cooked and cooled black rice
 2 g medium - large eggplants
 ¼ cup olive oil (plus more for grilling)
 3 spring onions, finely sliced
 1 pomegranate, seeds and juice
 ½ cup fresh mint leaves, finely shredded
 ½ cup coriander, finely shredded
 400 g can of lentils, drained and rinsed
 2 tbsp white wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice
 ¼ cup toasted almonds, roughly chopped
 Salt & pepper
Yoghurt dressing
 1 large lemon, juice only
 ½ cup natural coconut yoghurt
 1 clove of garlic, minced
 pinch of salt

Directions

1

Cook rice to packet instructions and set aside to cool.

2

Brush sliced eggplant with some olive oil and heat a char-grill or fry pan over high heat. Add the Eggplant to the pan and cook for approximately 5- 7 minutes until tender and dark golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

3

Prepare the dressing by adding all ingredients into a small mixing bowl and giving it a good whisk, set aside until you;re ready to serve.

4

Add all salad ingredients including the rice and eggplant (reserve a handful of pomegranate) and give the salad a gentle toss to combine.

5

Arrange salad on a platter and sprinkle with the reserved pomegranate and some crunchy almonds. Serve the yoghurt dressing on the side.

6

Tip: if you're using two colours, first drizzle the desired amount of white chocolate over the top before adding a few drops of colour to the remaining chocolate and drizzling over the top.

Grilled eggplant salad with black rice and pomegranate

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