Eggplant Rolls or Eggplant Borek

Eggplant Rolls

Hello! My name is Nadine and I am an Eggplantholic! I am! and there is such a thing! It is a very serious predicament! Eggplant controls your life! You go to the grocery store armed with a detailed shopping list that specifically does not include any eggplant and then you see eggplant! the list goes out the window and you start looking for other items that you need for this eggplant dish! I am always looking for new ways to cook eggplant and showcase it.
I did my happy dance when I found this recipe for eggplant rolls...I cant resist a roll, not to mention an eggplant roll! The smokiness of the eggplant comes from charring the eggplant over open flame in order to harvest the flesh of the eggplant. The same way you would for Baba Ghanouj or Moutabal al Batenjan. The original recipe called for rolling the rolls into a rose shape but unfortunately the rolls I made would break in the middle where the crease is so I decided to keep them as rolls. The Original recipe also called for the addition of Cheddar Cheese or Mozzarella, I was skeptical..so I made half with cheese and the other half without it.  To be honest, the cheese did not bother me but it did not add anything to the flavor, so next time I would do without it. 

Serves 4 – 6 

Preparation time: 45 minutes Cooking time: 25 – 30 minutes

Preheat the oven to 180 C / 350 F/ Gas Mark 4

Ingredients:

260 gr / 9 oz     filo pastry sheets, thawed

3-4                    medium eggplant (aubergine)

1                       medium onion, finely chopped

3                       small tomatoes, finely diced

1                       bunch or 1/2 cup Italian flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

60 gr / 2 oz       shredded mild cheddar or mozzarella (optional)

1                       tablespoon olive oil

1                       egg, beaten and 1 tablespoon olive oil for brushing the rolls

Sesame seeds to decorate the rolls

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bowl of water to seal the rolls

Directions:

• For best results, thaw the frozen filo pastry in the fridge overnight and bring it to the room temperature 2 hours before using. That enables the filo thaw completely.
• Cook the eggplants (aubergines) on a barbecue grill or over and open gas flame turning occasionally by the stalks until the outer skin is charred and blistered and the inner flesh soft. (Alternatively they can be baked in a hot oven for about 45 minutes). Peel away the burnt skin and discard the stalks. Put the flesh in a colander to drain away any bitter juices. (You can prepare the eggplants this way a day in advance; squeeze lemon juice over to retain its color and keep in the fridge covered). Finely chop the flesh and set aside.

Charring the Eggplant

• Sauté the onions with some olive oil for a couple of minutes, until soft. Add the tomatoes and cook for another couple of minutes, until most of the liquid is evaporated. Add the eggplant flesh and stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper. Once cooled, add the cheese and mix well if using. Check if more seasoning is needed, set aside to cool.

The Eggplant Filling

• Place the sheets of filo on a flat surface and cover with a damp dish towel to keep moist. On a dry surface, place 2 filo pastry sheets on top of one another and cut in half horizontally to form two rectangles. 
• Place 1 tablespoon of the mixture in the middle and roll like a cigar. You can  roll the cigar into a rose and seal the end with a little water. Make sure you seal all the openings/cracks with a little water. Repeat this with all rectangles.

Rolling the Eggplant Roll

• Mix the egg with the olive oil. Brush the rolls with this mixture and place them on a greased tray. Sprinkle sesame seeds over the rolls and bake them in the oven for about 25 minutes or until golden.

Eggplant Rolls ready to be baked

Serve immediately with a leafy salad or garlic yoghurt by the side.

Delicious Eggplant Roll

Enjoy!

Nadine

Adpated from Ozlem's Turkish Table