Chunky Romanian Potlajel – Eggplant Salad

I never heard of “Potlajel” or “Potlajel” before until one of our Galilee Green Family posted this family recipe.

Eggplants are a staple in Israel… right up there with Hummus!

They are nutritious, delicious and inexpensive. And we are always on the lookout for new recipes and we were inspired by Dr. Anita Rosenfield’s photo we shared with you of her “potlajel” (some spell it potlagel) a few weeks ago.

We decided to try our hand at our own chunky version for this past Shabbat and it was delicious!

Chunky Romanian Potlajel (Potlagel)

Ingredients

• 1 eggplant
• 1 medium yellow onion and 1/2 red onion diced
• 1/2 red pepper diced into small cubes.
• 3 cloves of minced garlic
• 3-4 tbsp Galilee Green Olive Oil (GGOO)
• salt, black pepper, hot paprika (or cayenne), other spices (to taste)

Directions:

1. Peel the eggplant with a vegetable peeler and then chop into 1/4 inch cubes. Set aside in a bowl
2. Dice the onions and then carmelize them with the minced garlic in a frying pan on medium heat. Add some salt to the onions to help carmelize them. When done, set aside in a bowl.
3. Dice the red bell pepper into 1/4 inch chunks and fry until tender and set aside.
4. Add some more GGOO to the frying pan as needed and now fry the eggplant cubes until soft and brown. They will shrink considerably. Stir them from time to time to prevent burning. Add the spices a few minutes before the eggplant is done and mix in thoroughly.
5. Let all the ingredients cool to room temperature and then combine them all in a bowl and mix thoroughly.
6. Put the Potlagel in the fridge to cool for at least an hour.
7. You may want to add some more GGOO or spices or even a bit of wine vinegar.

This is great with your Challah on Friday night or on crackers during the week. It tastes even better the next day!

Potlajel tastes better with
Galilee Green Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Get yours now!