Eggplant Schnitz with Slaw and Labneh Dip

FEATURING MONJAY MEZZA’S LABNE DIP

Not much needs to be done to enjoy our products, Break open a packet of your favourite crackers or cut a carrot into batons and dip away. Or simply arrange our delicious finger foods on a platter and watch them crowd around. But the potential of our range is so much more, and we want to prove it. So we've created our very own recipe page to show you the versatility of our products. Dips to marinate or bake with, finger food transformed into main meals - the limit is your imagination.

YIELDS: 4 Servings
COOK TIME: 45 mins

This vegetarian edition of the tried-and-true crumbed veal and coleslaw classic is by no means the poor man’s version. In fact, we find the creamy, soft eggplant with the crunchy bite of the crumb coating a match made in heaven. Paired with a vinegary slaw, it’s a complete meal to satisfy even the most devoted carnivore.

To make life easier, slice the vegetables for the coleslaw on a mandoline. If you don’t have a mandoline, go out and buy one. No kitchen should be without a mandoline.

Labneh Dip is our go-to accompaniment for this dish, but many of our dips work well. It’s all according to taste. We won’t judge.

Ingredients

Schnitz

3 eggplants, sliced lengthwise about 2 cm thick
2 heaped tbsp plain flour
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 cup breadcrumbs (either Panko, or a few slices of stale bread, pulsed in a processor)
2 eggs, beaten
2 tbsp each of olive oil and butter
Monjay Mezza Labneh Dip

Coleslaw

¼ savoy cabbage, finely sliced
¼ red cabbage, finely sliced
½ red onion, finely sliced
1 celery stalk, finely sliced
I carrot, coarsely grated
A handful of grated parmesan cheese
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
A generous glug of olive oil

How to Prepare

Set the oven to 190°C.

Dry toast the cumin seeds in a pan for a minute or two, until they become fragrant and very slightly darkened. Grind in a mortar and pestle, but not to a fine powder; little crunches of cumin seed make for lovely surprises of flavour when eating the eggplant.

Lay three shallow bowls on the table. Put the flour and cumin in one and season with salt and pepper, the beaten eggs in another, and the breadcrumbs in the third. Coat each eggplant in the flour and shake off excess, dip into the egg and drip off excess, then coat in the breadcrumbs, pressing them lightly into the eggplant.

Put a wide frypan onto medium heat and melt the olive oil and butter together. Fry the eggplant slices on each side for around two minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer to a baking paper-lined oven tray and bake for 15-20 minutes, until soft and tender.

For the coleslaw, well, this is hard. Put everything into a bowl and mix together. Season.

Serve the schnitz and slaw with generous dollops of Monjay’s own Labneh Dip.

Tip: Sometimes we mix a little grated parmesan into the breadcrumbs because it’s delicious.

Monjay Mezza is the home of traditional Middle Eastern Dips, Finger Food and Desserts.

Featured Dip

Labneh Dip

This versatile dip is the perfect accompaniment to fresh fruit, in wraps and sandwiches, or as a tangy side to a meat dish. Mix our labneh with olive oil and fresh herbs such as parsley, dill or marjoram to make a fresh taste that all will enjoy. For a decadent treat to go with coffee, split open dates and stuff with our special labneh, then sprinkle with crushed pistachios. The very definition of indulgence!

Learn more about our Labneh Dip View our full Gourmet Dip range