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Algerian Eggplant Jam

A spicy, jam‑like spread made from roasted eggplant, garlic, paprika, and lemon, served warm or at room temperature.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 12 ingredients
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Why it works: Lemon and parsley match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 14,037 recipes. Both carry beta-phellandrene, which smells minty, terpene. The science ↓

Algerian Eggplant Jam

Oven375°F
Time20 to 30 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare the eggplant

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

  2. Cut stems off eggplants.

  3. Peel skin in ½‑inch strips vertically down each eggplant.

  4. Slice each eggplant horizontally into ½‑inch slices.

  5. Place slices in colander and salt each slice.

  6. Let stand 30 minutes.

  7. Rinse well and pat dry with paper towels.

Bake

  1. Brush a baking sheet with 3 tablespoons of oil.

  2. Lightly brush eggplant slices with 2 tablespoons oil and place in a single layer on the baking sheet.

  3. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, turning occasionally, until slices are light golden brown on both sides.

Make the jam

  1. Transfer eggplant to a bowl and mash with garlic, paprika, cumin, water, and cayenne using a fork or potato masher.

  2. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

  3. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet.

  4. Add mashed eggplant and fry very slowly, turning occasionally, for about 20 minutes, or until moisture evaporates.

  5. Stir in lemon juice and cook 1 minute longer.

  6. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.

Serve

  1. Place eggplant on a platter and garnish with parsley and lemon or tomato wedges.

  2. Serve warm or at room temperature.

  3. Serve with warm country‑style bread or pita.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

209Calories
3 gProtein
15 gFat
21 gCarbs

Counts 10 of 11 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 10 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Olive Oil1 tbsp (14g)119
Eggplant1 cup cubed (82g)35
Tomato1 medium (123g)22
Lemonjuice of 1 lemon (48ml)12
Black Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Cayenne1 tsp (1.8g)6
Olive1 large (4g)4
Garlic1 clove (3g)4
Parsley1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g)1
Salt1 tsp (6g)0
Harissanot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Lemon + parsleytop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together14,037 recipes

    Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).

  2. Eggplant + garlictop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together801 recipes

    Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).

  3. Pepper + parsleytop 2% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together34,122 recipes

    Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).

  4. Olive + garlictop 2% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together25,665 recipes

    Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).

  5. Eggplant + olivetop 2% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together943 recipes

    Shared aroma: alpha-pinene (pine, turpentine).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Eggplants
Form the bulk of the jam, and their flesh softens into a spreadable texture when mashed and cooked.
Oil, olive
Carries flavor and browns the eggplant slices, and helps the mashed eggplant fry smoothly.
Garlic cloves
Adds sharp, pungent aroma that mellows as the jam cooks.
Paprika, sweet
Contributes color and a mild, sweet, earthy flavor.
Lemon juice
Adds acidity that brightens the rich, cooked eggplant flavor.

The step that matters

Frying the mashed eggplant slowly. Cooking slowly lets moisture evaporate gradually so the mixture thickens and concentrates in flavor without scorching. Rushing over high heat can burn the bottom before the eggplant is properly reduced.

Swap the harissa

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (eggplant, olive, garlic, clove, pepper, lemon, parsley):

  1. Thymefits better
  2. Basilfits better
  3. Oreganofits better
  4. Harissathe original

Fit is the average pairing score against eggplant, olive, garlic, clove, pepper, lemon, parsley. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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