Georgian Salad with Crispy Eggplant and Tomatoes

Source: Bondvit, AdobeStock

Fans of combining different textures in one dish will surely love this Georgian salad with crispy eggplant and tomatoes. It looks impressive but is much easier to prepare than it seems at first glance. We share a step-by-step recipe that you can easily replicate at home!

Preparation time: 40 minutes.
Servings: 4.

Ingredients

• 2 eggplants;
• 3 tomatoes;
• 1 red onion;
• 50 g walnuts;
• 2 cloves garlic;
• 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro;
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch;
• 2 tablespoons olive oil;
• 1 tablespoon wine vinegar;
• 1 teaspoon khmeli suneli;
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper;
• 1 teaspoon salt;
• vegetable oil for frying.

Step-by-Step Recipe

1. Cut the eggplants into large sticks, salt them, leave for 15 minutes, then rinse and thoroughly pat dry with paper towels.
2. Slice the tomatoes into wedges, the onion into thin half-rings, finely chop the cilantro, and coarsely chop the walnuts.
3. Dredge the eggplants in cornstarch and fry them for 8-10 minutes in a heated pan with vegetable oil until crispy.
4. Let's prepare the salad dressing! Press the garlic through a press and mix it with olive oil, wine vinegar, khmeli suneli, ground black pepper, and salt.
5. Combine the tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and walnuts in a salad bowl. Add the warm fried eggplants, pour the dressing over the salad, and gently mix.