Food and Recipes Veggies Eggplant Pomegranate Molasses-Glazed Eggplant Will Brighten A Summer Veggie Plate Be the first to rate & review! Serve with a toum-yogurt sauce for an unforgettable dish. By Alana Al-Hatlani Alana Al-Hatlani Alana Al-Hatlani is an Assistant Food Editor at Southern Living. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on June 7, 2024 Recipe tested by Southern Living Test Kitchen Recipe tested by Southern Living Test Kitchen The Southern Living Test Kitchen has been publishing recipes since 1970, four years after the first issue of Southern Living Magazine appeared on newsstands. The Southern Living Test Kitchen team includes a team of professionals with deep expertise in recipe development, from pastry chefs and grilling experts to nutritionists and dietitians. Together, the team tests and retests, produces, styles, and photographs thousands of recipes each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen facility located in Birmingham, Alabama. Learn more about the Southern Living Test Kitchen Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster Active Time: 45 mins Total Time: 45 mins Servings: 6 Classic Southern molasses is sweet and bitter; the pomegranate kind has a deep, tangy flavor and a rich garnet color. Made from pomegranate juice that is reduced down, pomegranate molasses can be found in the international aisle of some grocery stores or at your local Middle Eastern market. Look for brands that list pomegranate juice as the only ingredient. Combined with spicy harissa in this recipe, it’s a punchy way to amp up mild eggplant. Ingredients 2 small eggplants 2 3/4 tsp. kosher salt, divided 3 Tbsp. pomegranate molasses 1 1/2 Tbsp. harissa paste 1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil 1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice (from 1 lime) 1 1/2 tsp. Aleppo pepper 3/4 cup plain whole-milk strained (Greek-style) yogurt 1/2 cup Toum-Yogurt Sauce (recipe follows) 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil Crumbled feta cheese, for serving Torn fresh mint leaves, for serving Directions Cut each eggplant in half lengthwise, and then cut each half into 1 1/2-inch-thick wedges. Rub eggplant wedges with 2 teaspoons of the salt. Place on a paper towel-lined baking sheet, and let stand 30 minutes. Preheat grill to medium-high (400°F to 450°F). While grill preheats, whisk together pomegranate molasses, harissa, olive oil, lime juice, Aleppo pepper, and remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl until smooth. Transfer 3 tablespoons of the mixture to a small bowl for serving, and set aside. Reserve remaining mixture for basting. Stir together yogurt and garlic sauce in a medium bowl until well combined. Spread mixture onto a serving platter; set aside. Pat eggplant pieces dry with a paper towel, and rub all over with vegetable oil. Place eggplant pieces, cut sides down, on oiled grates, and grill, uncovered, basting often with pomegranate molasses mixture and flipping once, until tender, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Place grilled eggplant pieces on top of toum-yogurt sauce mixture on serving platter. Drizzle with reserved 3 tablespoons pomegranate molasses mixture. Garnish with feta and mint. Serve hot. Toum-Yogurt Sauce Peel two small heads of garlic. Slice each garlic clove in half lengthwise using a paring knife. With the tip of the knife, remove and discard the germs (the center sprouts of the garlic cloves that can be very bitter). Combine garlic, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in the bowl of a food processor. Process until mixture becomes a mostly smooth, thick paste, about 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Measure out 1 1/2 cups of vegetable oil and 5 tablespoons lemon juice. With processor running, gradually drizzle in 1/4 cup vegetable oil in a thin stream, followed by 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Continue alternating additions of 1/4 cup oil and 1 tablespoon lemon juice until all oil and lemon juice are added. Process mixture until very fluffy, about 30 more seconds. Transfer to an airtight container, and store in refrigerator up to 2 weeks. ACTIVE 30 MIN. - TOTAL 30 MIN. MAKES 2 CUPS Rate It Print