NORTH AFRICAN ZUCCHINI SALAD
WITH GARLIC, CHILI PASTE AND CARAWAY
- Mashed vegetables such as
carrots and zucchini are dressed with a spicy sauce and
served as appetizers in Tunisia and other North African
countries. The zucchini available in the Eastern
Mediterranean are light green and are juicier and tastier
than the dark green zucchini available in Northern Europe
and North America. You can sometimes find these at
farmers markets where they are called Middle
Eastern zucchini, or you can grow them in your garden.
The resulting salad will taste even better.
- Serve as an accompaniment to
grilled meat, poultry or fish. You can make this salad as
hot as you like by adding more chili paste, especially if
the dishes you are serving it with are mild.
-
- 9 - 10 medium zucchini,
steamed or boiled in salted water until tender
- 1 tablespoon balsamic
vinegar
- 1 tablespoon good-quality
red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin
olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, finely
minced
- 3 - 5 teaspoons Red Pepper
Paste or 2 - 3 teaspoons Harissa
- 1½ teaspoons freshly
ground caraway seeds
- sea salt, to taste
- some kalamata olives, to
decorate
- 2 hard-cooked eggs,
quartered (optional)
-
- Mash the cooked zucchini with
a fork and place in a fine strainer. Let it drain for 20
- 30 minutes, until most of the liquid has run off.
- Mix the vinegars, olive oil,
garlic, red pepper paste, caraway, and salt in a small
bowl. Place the mashed zucchini in a deep dish and pour
the vinaigrette over it. Mix well, taste, and adjust the
seasoning.
- Cover and refrigerate for 2
to 3 hours or overnight.
- Serve decorated with olives
and quartered hard-cooked eggs, if you like.
- Variation: You can substitute
butternut squash or any winter squash for the zucchini. A
similar salad can be made with cooked carrots or
cauliflower.
- Increase the amount of
vinegar if the vegetables are very sweet. In Israel, I
tasted a delicious squash and mashed potato salad dressed
the same way.
Serves 4 to 6
area : North Africa
gerechtsoort : salad
bron : Mediterranean Hot : Spicy
dishes from Southern Italy, Greece, Turkey & North Africa /
Aglai Kremezi