Translating a traditional lamb shawarma to a vegan approach using a tried-and-true vegetable for aromatic and spicy dishes: the eggplant.
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
- 1¼ teaspoons ground cumin
- 1¼ teaspoons sweet paprika
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea or table salt, plus more as needed
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Pinch of ground cayenne
- 1 large eggplant (about 28-30 oz), partially skinned and cut into roughly 1-inch pieces
- 1 large red onion, cut into ¼-inch wedges
- Pita or flatbread, for serving
- ¼ cup coarsely chopped parsley, plus more for serving
- Chopped tomato and cucumber, for serving
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 425ºF, arranging the racks so that one is in the top third of the oven.
- In a large wide bowl, whisk together olive oil, cumin, paprika, salt, coriander, turmeric, black pepper, and cayenne. Add eggplant and onion, and toss until well coated. Spread mixture in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Roast vegetables on the top oven rack until they are golden brown, slightly crisp and tender, 40 minutes, stirring about halfway through. If the vegetables look especially dry as they roast, drizzle with a little more olive oil.
- Warm the pitas or flatbread by placing them directly on the bottom oven rack during the last 5 minutes as the vegetables roast.
- Serve the roasted vegetables with warm pitas and chopped tomato & cucumber, topping with chopped parsley.