Tunisian-Style Grilled Vegetables (Mechouia)
A smoky, spice-laden salad of charred peppers, eggplant, and tomatoes
Why This Recipe Works
This robust Tunisian salad relies on deep charring and a potent blend of toasted spices to transform simple vegetables into something complex. Scoring the eggplant and zucchini is the secret to helping them release moisture so they brown properly rather than steaming on the grate.
Instructions
Toast the coriander, caraway, and cumin seeds in a small skillet over medium heat until they smell fragrant and darken slightly, about 2 minutes. Grind the seeds to a fine powder using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.
Whisk 3 tablespoons of the olive oil with the ground spices, paprika, cayenne, and garlic in a small bowl. In a separate large bowl, whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil with the parsley, cilantro, mint, lemon zest, and lemon juice to create the herb dressing.
Brush the bell peppers, eggplant, zucchini, and tomatoes with the spice-oil mixture, ensuring it gets into the scored slits, then season generously with salt and pepper.
Place the peppers skin-side down, the eggplant and zucchini cut-side down, the tomatoes, and the unpeeled shallots on the grill over medium-high heat. Cook until the vegetables are tender and the skins are well-charred, about 15 minutes, turning as needed to prevent burning; the shallots will likely take the full time to soften through.
Transfer the vegetables to a cutting board as they finish. Slip the skins off the charred peppers and shallots, then roughly chop all the vegetables into 1/2-inch pieces. Don't fear the char; those blackened bits are where the deep, smoky flavor lives.
Toss the chopped vegetables and any accumulated juices with the herb dressing. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste and serve warm or at room temperature.
π½οΈ Complete the Meal
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I freeze this recipe?
Refrigerate for up to 3 days.
What substitutions can I make?
- coriander seeds: ground coriander
- cumin seeds: ground cumin