Zaalouk

Zaalouk is eggplant and tomato cooked down together with garlic and cumin into a soft, chunky relish. It's a staple of the Moroccan mezze table, and unlike many cold vegetable dips found elsewhere, zaalouk is traditionally served warm — the cumin's earthiness comes through more clearly that way.

What it really is

Eggplant, peeled and diced, cooks down in oil with tomato, garlic and a generous amount of cumin and paprika until both vegetables break down into a soft, spoonable relish, mashed roughly with a fork or spoon rather than blended smooth. Olive oil and a touch of vinegar or lemon finish it, and fresh coriander often stirs through at the end for a bright, herbal note against the earthy spice.

Cumin is the spice that defines it, more than any other single ingredient. Where similar cooked eggplant-and-tomato relishes elsewhere lean on different spice profiles, zaalouk's identity rests heavily on that warm, earthy cumin note running through the whole dish.

How it's served

• Warm, with bread for scooping.
• As part of a mezze spread with other salads and dips.
• Sometimes alongside grilled meat as a side.

How to write it on the menu

• No major allergens are inherent to the base recipe.
• It's naturally vegan and vegetarian.
• Say that it's served warm, since some guests expect a cold dip by default.