Labneh, Roasted Eggplants and Sumac

409

Real food like Labneh & Roasted Eggplants & Sumac has the power to bring joy and pleasure into our lives and can have powerful effects on our bodies. Traditionally prepared, it is full of flavor and textures.  I ferment yogurt at home, so the next logical step is to make Labneh.  A simple yogurt cheese, which is eaten all over the Middle East.  The first time I tasted Labneh was in Dubai UAE, where I worked as a Chef Saucier at the Dubai Hilton Hotel.  Making Labneh is a very easy undertaking, the only thing you need is yogurt, a bowl, and a cheesecloth.  Keep in mind that if you want to make Labneh, Roasted Eggplants & Sumac recipe, you need to make homemade yogurt and two days to drain the yogurt.

SSP_71

Indian Eggplant:

At the Hilton Hotel, Ali, our Lebanese Chef, cooked all local food – from great Mezzeh dishes to stuffed whole lamb, to Labneh.  The eggplants used in this recipe are Indian eggplants, found often in Indian markets.  If you live in Chicago, you will find Indian Eggplants on Devon Avenue.  They are much smaller than the commonly used Italian eggplants and tend to be less bitter than the bigger eggplants.

SSP_Eggplant

The World fresh market on Devon Avenue, in the heart of one of the most diverse neighborhoods in Chicago, has an interesting and inexpensive produce selection, great spices, Halal meat, basmati rice, etc.  Food that caters to the many different cultures that live in this neighborhood.  I love to visit the many ethnic food markets Chicago has to offer, from La Casa del Pueblo in Pilsen to Joong Boo Market.  I can easily spend hours strolling down the aisles, looking for ingredients.

SSP_57

What is that weird yellowish liquid: 

Making my Labneh recipe, you need to make homemade yogurt, and that takes two days to drain A by-product of making labneh is whey, that weired yellowish liquied. Whey has a Kimchi-like quality; and is a great bonus that is free.  Did you know that whey is very healthy?  It contains a very high level of calcium, vitamin B12, vitamin B5, magnesium, and potassium, is super rich in protein and minerals, and is full of live healthy enzymes.

SSP_185

The notion of eating oven-baked eggplant almost feels like eating Oysters, scooping them from their shells and eating them with a spoon of tangy, creamy Labneh along with the sumac is a perfect combination.  To elevate the flavor, I recommend using a good quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

SSP_209

Labneh is a great snack on a piece of grilled bread topped with marinated olives, preserved lemon, and sumac.

SSP_300

SSP_273

What to do with whey:

If you love buttermilk, you will love whey.  If you have ever made Labneh or Greek yogurt, you know there is a lot of whey leftover.  Did you know there is a dark side to Greek yogurt manufacturing in the US?  According to The modern Farmer, the Northeast alone produced more than 150 million gallons of acid whey last year.  With the surge in popularity of Greek yogurt, companies are faced with a challenge.  By law, it is illegal to dump whey because it’s toxic to the natural environment, robbing oxygen from streams and rivers.  As a matter of fact, Greek yogurt manufacturers need to pay people, like farmers, to take this stuff off their hands.  I save the whey and drink it straight or use for smoothies, add it to mashed potatoes or freeze it in ice cube trays for later use.  By producing my own Labneh and using the whey, I can proudly say that I do the environment some good, no waste in my kitchen.

 

Labneh, Roasted Eggplants & Sumac

Labneh, Roasted Eggplants and Sumac

Chef Norbert
Prep Time 2 hrs 20 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 40 mins
Course Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine Middle Eastern
Servings 6
Calories 312 kcal

Ingredients
  

Labneh

  • 32 oz yogurt Greek, plain

lemon dressing

Eggplant

Instructions
 

Make the labneh

  • Line a sieve with cheesecloth; set over a medium deep bowl. Place yogurt in a sieve. Gather edges of cheesecloth to cover yogurt. Place in refrigerator and let drain for 2-3 days.
    32 oz yogurt
  • Squeeze out any excess liquid; discard liquid in the bowl. The yogurt will be very thick and resemble soft goat cheese. The longer you drain the yogurt, the thicker the Labneh will be.

Make the Lemon dressing

  • In a mixing bowl, combine olive oil, chopped cilantro, minced garlic, and salt and set aside.
    2 tbsp lemon, 2 tbsp cilantro, 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 2 cloves garlic, 1/4 tsp sea salt, fine ground

Cut and salt the eggplant

  • Wash the eggplant and cut it in half. Salt the cut side of the eggplant, let it sit for 20 minutes. Remove the salt and pat the eggplant dry.
    30 pieces Indian eggplant, 2 tbsp salt

Roast the eggplant

  • Pre-heat oven to 400F. Place eggplant on a cookie sheet cut side up. Drizzle with olive oil and place in oven, bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.
    2 tbsp lemon

Dress the eggplant

  • Remove eggplant from the oven and dress with the lemon, cilantro garlic dressing. Let sit at room temperature for at least for 45 minutes before serving.

Plate and serve

  • With a spoon, smear the Labneh on the center of a plate, place roasted eggplant in the center, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sumac. Serve with Pita bread
    1/4 cup sumac, 4 fl oz extra virgin olive oil

Nutrition

Serving: 5eggplant | Calories: 312kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 2493mg | Potassium: 258mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate

Keyword Eggplant, Labneh, Sumac
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Close
Your custom text © Copyright 2020. All rights reserved.