An eggplant, tomato, and cheese appetizer on a crispy baguette. A step-by-step recipe with photos. 472 kcal
Our eggplant rolls with walnuts will forever change your perception of this seemingly familiar appetizer. The filling here isn't just grated semi-hard or processed cheese mixed with garlic: it's more original, yet still simple. The base is walnuts and cilantro, to which cream cheese is then added.
- Eggplant
- Tomato
- Chicken egg
- Semi-hard cheese
- Baguette
- Parsley
- Dill
- Refined vegetable oil
- Salt
- Wash the eggplant and tomatoes and cut into slices of equal thickness, approximately 7–10 mm. Heat a frying pan with a little vegetable oil and quickly fry the lightly salted eggplant slices for 1 minute on each side.
- Wash the parsley and dill, dry them, and chop them finely. Wash the eggs, place them in a bowl, and whisk them with a pinch of salt. Add half the herbs and whisk again.
- Slice the baguette into 1–1.5 cm thick slices. Heat 1–2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a frying pan. Dip the bread slices in the egg mixture and fry in the pan until golden brown, about 1.5 minutes per side.
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Place a slice of tomato on each slice of bread, followed by a slice of cheese and an eggplant slice. Drizzle with oil and bake for 7 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining chopped herbs before serving.
Eggplant rolls with cheese are a simplified version of a famous Georgian appetizer, the filling of which is made from chopped walnuts, garlic, herbs, vinegar, and spices. Sometimes natural yogurt or sour cream is added for a richer flavor, but this is considered a deviation from the traditional recipe. The recipe for eggplant rolls with cheese originated in Soviet times: about 40 years ago, walnuts, especially good ones, were hard to come by, so home cooks found their own version of a savory filling. It's worth noting that the result was quite delicious! So much so that cheese rolls have become a regular on the menus of many restaurants and remain very popular to this day.
Eggplant satsivi is a great option for vegans and vegetarians, as the recipe contains no animal products. But even die-hard meat eaters will love this dish! At least, we've had the opportunity to confirm this on more than one occasion. If you think satsivi is a poultry dish, we're here to disabuse you: the same word is used in Georgia to describe the nut sauce itself. This means it can be served with any base, including these rather dense and filling vegetables. Another nice thing is that eggplant satsivi cooks much faster than classic satsivi, so it's definitely worth trying!
Baking eggplant with tomatoes and cheese in the oven is pure pleasure: the recipe is simple, fairly quick, and the result exceeds all expectations! This dish can be served as a hot appetizer or even dinner, especially if you're a meat-free eater for whatever reason. In the latter case, no one will go hungry, as cheese is a calorie-rich food, making baked eggplant more filling. As for the tomatoes, we recommend choosing them carefully. Choose the ripest, plumpest, and sweetest tomatoes! These will ensure the perfect eggplant and cheese appetizer and provide the best culinary experience.
