Zaalouk (Moroccan Smoky Aubergine and Tomato Salad)
زعلوک (مراکش کا دھوئیں دار بینگن اور ٹماٹر کا سلاد)
Zaalouk is one of the cooked salads that start almost every Moroccan meal: smoky aubergine and ripe tomatoes cooked down in olive oil with plenty of garlic, cumin and paprika until soft and spoonable, then finished with fresh coriander and a squeeze of lemon. It's eaten warm or at room temperature, scooped up with bread. Pakistani and Indian readers will immediately recognise a cousin of baingan bharta, with Mediterranean olive oil and without the chilli heat.
- ⏱ Total: 50 min
- Prep: 15 min
- Cook: 35 min
- Easy
- Serves 4
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Roast the aubergines directly over a gas flame or under a hot grill, turning, for 10–15 minutes until the skin is charred and the flesh is completely soft. Cool, peel and chop the flesh.
Heat the olive oil in a karahi, add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, cumin, paprika and salt and cook for 8–10 minutes until thick.
Add the aubergine and cook for 10 minutes more, mashing with a spoon, until everything comes together into a thick, soft mixture.
Stir in the herbs and lemon juice, drizzle with a little more olive oil and serve warm or at room temperature with bread.
Kitchen notes
Charring over a flame gives zaalouk its smoky taste; oven-roasting at 220°C works but is milder.
Add a pinch of chilli flakes or harissa if you like heat.
It tastes even better the next day and keeps for 3 days in the fridge.
Morocco’s cooked salads
A Moroccan meal often opens with a selection of small cooked salads: carrots with cumin, roasted peppers, beetroot, and zaalouk. They’re eaten with bread before the main tagine or couscous. Zaalouk is one of the most popular, found in homes and restaurants across the country.
Smoke and spice
The aubergine is charred over an open flame until the skin blackens and the flesh collapses, giving it a smoky depth, the same trick used for baingan bharta and Levantine mutabbal. It’s then cooked down slowly with tomatoes, garlic, cumin and paprika in generous olive oil.
A useful dish
Zaalouk works as a dip, a side or a light vegetarian meal with bread. It keeps well, so it’s good for making ahead for guests, and it suits vegan diets.
Serving
Serve with khubz, msemen or crusty bread, alongside chicken tagine or as part of a mezze spread.
Questions people ask
How is zaalouk different from baingan bharta?
Both mash roasted aubergine with tomato. Zaalouk uses olive oil, paprika and cumin and is mild; baingan bharta uses onion, green chilli and desi spices and is often spicier.
Is zaalouk served hot or cold?
Usually warm or at room temperature, as part of a spread of Moroccan salads.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 170
- Protein
- 3 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
