flipCumin-Scented Eggplants (Andalusian Braised Eggplants)
Cumin-Scented Eggplants (Andalusian Braised Eggplants)
Why this dish? The eggplant was THE emblematic vegetable of the Jews of al-Andalus, to the point that they were sometimes mockingly called "eggplant eaters." Sober, plant-based, and digestible, this preparation perfectly embodies the moderate diet that Maimonides advocated in his treatises: little meat, plenty of vegetables, never eating to satiety.
Soft braised eggplants in olive oil with cumin, coriander, and a splash of vinegar, enhanced with a pinch of saffron. A humble, fragrant dish, served warm with bread.
Know, gentle reader, that the body is the instrument of the soul, and must be nourished without ever being burdened. At my table in Fustat, I slowly melted these eggplants in good oil, with cumin that warms the belly and coriander that soothes it. Eat them warm, with a piece of bread, and rise from the table before you are fully sated: thus the Holy One, blessed be He, will grant you long health. I wrote it in my *Regimen*, and I say it again here.
- •Eggplants — a few, firm (base of the dish)
- •Olive oil — generous (cooking and binding)
- •Ground cumin — a good pinch (signature spice)
- •Coriander seeds — a pinch (aroma)
- •Saffron — a few threads (color and aroma)
- •Wine vinegar — a dash (acidity)
- •Garlic — a few cloves (aromatic base)
- •Salt — to taste (seasoning)
Cumin-Scented Eggplants (Andalusian Braised Eggplants)
Soft braised eggplants in olive oil with cumin, coriander, and a splash of vinegar, enhanced with a pinch of saffron. A humble, fragrant dish, served warm with bread.
Why this dish? The eggplant was THE emblematic vegetable of the Jews of al-Andalus, to the point that they were sometimes mockingly called "eggplant eaters." Sober, plant-based, and digestible, this preparation perfectly embodies the moderate diet that Maimonides advocated in his treatises: little meat, plenty of vegetables, never eating to satiety.
Know, gentle reader, that the body is the instrument of the soul, and must be nourished without ever being burdened. At my table in Fustat, I slowly melted these eggplants in good oil, with cumin that warms the belly and coriander that soothes it. Eat them warm, with a piece of bread, and rise from the table before you are fully sated: thus the Holy One, blessed be He, will grant you long health. I wrote it in my *Regimen*, and I say it again here.
Ingredients (period version)
- Eggplants — a few, firm (base of the dish)
- Olive oil — generous (cooking and binding)
- Ground cumin — a good pinch (signature spice)
- Coriander seeds — a pinch (aroma)
- Saffron — a few threads (color and aroma)
- Wine vinegar — a dash (acidity)
- Garlic — a few cloves (aromatic base)
- Salt — to taste (seasoning)
Ingredients
- Eggplants — 2 large (about 700 g) (base of the dish)
- Olive oil — 5 tbsp (cooking and binding)
- Ground cumin — 1.5 tsp (signature spice)
- Ground coriander — 1 tsp (aroma)
- Saffron — 1 small pinch infused in 3 tbsp hot water (color and aroma)
- Wine vinegar — 1 tbsp (acidity)
- Garlic — 3 cloves, minced (aromatic base)
- Salt — 1 tsp (seasoning)
Method
- Cut the eggplants into large cubes, salt them, and let them drain for 20 minutes, then pat dry.
- Heat the oil in a pot and sauté the garlic without browning.
- Add the eggplants, cumin, and coriander; stir to coat well.
- Pour in the saffron water, cover, and let braise on low heat for 25–30 minutes until the eggplants are tender.
- At the end of cooking, add the vinegar, adjust salt, and let the liquid reduce.
- Serve warm, drizzled with the cooking oil, with bread.
How it was made : In the kitchens of al-Andalus, eggplants were prepared in a thousand ways: stuffed, fried, in stew ("alboronía"). They were slowly confit in olive oil with "hot" spices (cumin, coriander) believed to correct their "cold and melancholic" nature according to humoral medicine. Vinegar served both as a condiment and a preservative.
The contemporary twist : Serve the eggplants crushed as a spread on grilled flatbread, sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds — a contemporary mezze style.
Sources : Maimonides, *Regimen of Health* (*Fī tadbīr al-ṣiḥḥa*) · Lucie Bolens, *La cuisine andalouse, un art de vivre, XIe-XIIIe siècle*
Maimonides · Charactorium
