Warm roasted eggplant, beet and lamb salad with spiced yoghurt dressing
Unlike summer, it’s harder to motivate ourselves to whip up a salad for lunch or dinner when the weather is cold, rainy and completely miserable. That’s why I love creating warm salads like this one with creamy spiced yoghurt dressing.
Ingredients
- 2 medium eggplants
- 6 baby beets
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 teaspoons Moroccan seasoning* store-bought or see recipe in method
- 2 lamb rumps
- 1 clove garlic finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves chopped
- sea salt
- 1 cup Greek-style yoghurt or coconut yoghurt for dairy-free
- 1 teaspoon orange zest finely grated
- ½ teaspoon garam masala*
- 1 teaspoon liquid honey
- 2 handfuls fresh kale leaves
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- spray oil
- ¼ cup pomegranate seeds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Cut eggplants in half across the widest part then cut each half into thick wedges. Cut baby beets in half or larger ones into quarters. Toss the vegetables with the combined oil and Moroccan spice and then arrange in a single layer on a large lined baking tray. Roast for 30-35 minutes or until the beets are tender and the eggplant has coloured and softened.
- Meanwhile rub the lamb with garlic, thyme and plenty of sea salt and cracked pepper then roast for 12-15 minutes or until cooked to your liking. Rest the lamb for at least 5 minutes before slicing.
- For the dressing, combine yoghurt, zest, garam masala and honey and season to taste with pepper and a pinch of salt.
- Place kale and pine nuts on a baking tray and spray lightly with oil then bake for 5-8 minutes until just toasted.
- Arrange the toasted kale, roasted eggplant, beets and sliced lamb in a large, shallow bowl. Drizzle with the dressing and garnish with toasted pine nuts and pomegranate seeds.
- * Check label if eating gluten free.
Moroccan spice mix
- Mix together 4 teaspoons paprika, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons ground cumin and 4 teaspoons sumac. Makes ¼ cup but will keep well in an airtight container.
Notes
This lamb salad makes easy work of getting in all those important veges, including eggplant, beetroot and kale. One of my favourite elements of this dish is its citrus, garam masala and honey-spiked spiced yoghurt dressing. It takes the salad from delicious to downright stunning. Serve with a scattering of pomegranate seeds for a gorgeous burst of freshness.
This recipe is from the April/May issue of NADIA magazine.
Use coconut yoghurt in place of Greek-style yoghurt to make this recipe dairy-free.
If eggplant is out of season, pumpkin is a good substitution.
If you can’t get hold of pomegranate, try cutting grapes in half instead.
If eggplant is out of season, pumpkin is a good substitution.
If you can’t get hold of pomegranate, try cutting grapes in half instead.