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1
Crisp the pita
8 minutes
200°C (400°F)
Toss the torn pita with 15 g of the olive oil and a pinch of salt, spread on a baking tray in one layer and bake at 200°C (400°F) for 6 to 8 minutes, turning once, until golden and crisp all over.
One layer only: piled-up pita steams in the middle and stays chewy.
Done when: The pieces are golden, dry and snap when bent.
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2
Fry the eggplant
10 minutes
180°C (350°F)
Heat the remaining 45 g of olive oil in a wide pan over medium-high heat until it shimmers, about 180°C (350°F). Fry the eggplant cubes in two batches for 4 to 5 minutes each, turning once, until deeply golden and tender inside. Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Do not crowd the pan: a single layer fries, a crowd stews. Toss the hot cubes with half the pomegranate molasses while they are still warm.
Done when: Golden brown outside, completely soft and creamy inside, with no raw white centre.
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3
Fry the potatoes
8 minutes
180°C (350°F)
In the same oil, fry the potato cubes for 6 to 8 minutes, turning once, until golden with crisp edges and a fluffy centre. Drain on paper towels and season lightly with salt while hot.
The potatoes can fry while the first batch of eggplant drains, so the two finish together.
Done when: Crisp and golden outside; a knife slides through the centre with no resistance.
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4
Toast the pine nuts
3 minutes
Medium heat (about 160°C / 320°F)
Tip the pine nuts into a dry pan over medium heat and shake the pan for 2 to 3 minutes until they turn pale gold and smell nutty. Tip them straight onto a plate so they do not burn in the hot pan.
Watch them without blinking: pine nuts go from golden to burnt in seconds.
Done when: Evenly pale gold and fragrant, with no dark spots.
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5
Whisk the yogurt-tahini sauce
5 minutes
Room temperature (20°C / 68°F)
Whisk the yogurt until smooth, then whisk in the tahini, grated garlic, lemon juice, cumin, half the Aleppo pepper and the remaining salt. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of cold water, a little at a time, until the sauce pours in a thick ribbon.
Add the water slowly: a sauce that is too thin slides off the layers instead of coating them.
Done when: Smooth, thick and pourable, tasting garlicky, lemony and lightly spiced.
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6
Layer and serve
5 minutes
Room temperature (20°C / 68°F)
Spread half the crisp pita on a wide serving plate, top with the fried eggplant and potatoes, then spoon over half the sauce. Repeat with the remaining pita and sauce, then scatter the pine nuts, pomegranate seeds and parsley, dust with the remaining Aleppo pepper and drizzle with the rest of the pomegranate molasses. Serve at once, while the pita is still crisp and the vegetables are warm under the cool sauce.
Layer, do not stir: the contrast of hot vegetables, cool sauce and crisp bread is the whole point of the dish. Some Lebanese cooks add a cup of warm chickpeas between the layers.
Done when: The plate shows crisp golden pita, white sauce, red pomegranate and green parsley, and the first spoonful is warm, creamy and crunchy at once.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve immediately, with extra crisp pita on the side for scooping, because the bread softens within minutes under the sauce.
Lebanon
25m
