This recipe for grilled eggplant served with a tzatziki dip is very simple to make, refreshing and can be served in a variety of different ways. It is ideal as a starter, in a salad or as an accompaniment to other ingredients, including peppers, tomatoes and couscous.

Making a dish like this gives you the opportunity to be creative and add your own personal touches. If there are any specific ingredients that you would like to include then do a bit of experimenting and see what works out best.

Ingredients (serves 3 - 4)

1 large eggplant
3 – 4 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of 2 lemons
1 – 2 cloves of garlic (finely grated)
½ a cucumber (rinsed, peeled and grated)
5 – 6 tablespoons Greek yoghurt
2 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper (to taste)

Method:

1. Pre-heat the grill to a medium temperature.
2. Rinse the eggplant well, slice thinly and place to one side.
3. Put the olive oil, lemon juice and grated garlic together in a bowl and mix well in preparation for brushing over the eggplant slices.
4. Take each of the slices and lightly coat with the mixture you made earlier.
5. Once this has been done, place all the eggplant in the grill and leave for approximately 15 – 20 minutes, turning occasionally.
6. Serve and enjoy.

Making the Tzatziki Dip:

The tzatziki dip is extremely easy to make and with warmed eggplant, it is a popular and refreshing addition to the dish.

• Put the Greek yoghurt in a bowl, add all of the cucumber, along with a small amount of lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste and mix well. Leave in the fridge to chill, ready for serving.

Alternative Ways of Serving Eggplant

If you are looking for another way of serving eggplant then you could always try one of these other combinations which are all very flavorsome and take little time to make:

1. Warm eggplant salad with olives and fresh pita bread
2. Eggplant stuffed with couscous and feta cheese
3. Eggplant dip served alongside a range of fresh vegetables
4. Lamb or chicken kebabs with peppers and eggplant
5. Eggplant soup

These are just a few other serving suggestions, plus an added benefit is that they make a suitable snack or larger lunchtime or dinnertime meal.