Spiced Melitza with Tabbouleh

For dinner, tonight!

Spiced Melitza
Ingredients

• 1 medium melitza (ok, ok dammit eggplant)
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tsp cumin seed
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 dried Thai bird chilis
• Olive oil

Process 

ETA I didn't use the bird chilis. Instead I used
dried habanero chili from my garden

1. Slice melitza in half lengthwise.
2. Score the cut surface about 1/4 to 1/2 " deep as if for two games of tic-tac-toe.
3. Salt the cut surface.
4. Place the half melitzas, cut side down in a shallow roasting pan and leave on the counter at room temperature for 2-3 hours.
5. Drain the expelled liquid and add it to your stock pot.
6. Turn the melitzas cut side up.
7. Dry roast the cumin and coriander in a small skillet.
8. Grind the cumin, coriander, paprika, cinnamon and chilis in a suribachi or mortar.
9. Peel crush and mince the garlic.
10. Put the garlic, lemon zest and spices powder into a small bowl.
11. Add enough oil to the bowl to make a loose paste.
12. Rub the spice paste onto the cut surface of the melitza.
13. Roast at 350 for 50 minutes.

I don't need to repeat my recipe for tabbouleh.

Here's what dinner looked like:

First the plate:

Plate by Droll Designs, Salem, MA

Then the food on the plate:

That's tabbouleh at the top left, two types of zkhuk at the top right, 1/2 the melitza in the middle and a couple of pappadums balanced on the left edge.