Description
A vibrant and healthy grilled vegetables platter featuring a colorful array of bell pepper, red onion, eggplant, zucchini, and squash charred to perfection. Accompanied by a spiced Greek yoghurt sauce, this dish makes an excellent starter or side, bursting with smoky flavors and fresh garnishes.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables
- 1 red capsicum (bell pepper), cut into slices
- 1 red onion, peeled and cut into 12 wedges
- 1 large eggplant, sliced vertically into 1/2 cm (1/5″) slices
- 3 zucchinis, sliced vertically into thin slices
- 3 squash, sliced into thin slices
Seasoning & Garnish
- Olive oil, for drizzling and cooking
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
- Parsley or coriander leaves, for garnish
- Lemon wedges, for garnish
Yoghurt Sauce
- 1/2 cup Greek yoghurt
- 1/2 garlic clove, crushed
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- Squeeze of lemon juice
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Extra pinch of cumin powder, for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare Yoghurt Sauce: In a bowl, combine Greek yoghurt, crushed garlic, cumin powder, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Mix well and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Heat Grill or Pan: Preheat your outdoor grill on high or a heavy-based pan on the stovetop over high heat.
- Oil the Cooking Surface: Drizzle olive oil onto the hot grill or pan to prevent sticking and aid charring.
- Grill Vegetables: Arrange vegetables on the hot surface and cook for about 1.5 to 2 minutes until charred on one side. Flip and cook the other side for another 1.5 minutes. Vegetables may still be a bit undercooked at this stage – they will finish cooking while resting.
- Season Cooked Vegetables: Remove the vegetables and place them in a bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
- Repeat and Layer: Continue grilling remaining vegetables and layering them in the bowl, seasoning each layer with salt and pepper.
- Rest Vegetables: Cover the bowl and let the vegetables cool to room temperature to develop flavor and texture.
- Optional Chilling: If preparing ahead, refrigerate the vegetables once cooled and remove from the fridge before serving to bring them back to room temperature.
- Serve: Transfer the grilled vegetables to a serving platter. Drizzle generously with olive oil, garnish with parsley or coriander leaves and lemon wedges. Serve alongside the cumin-garnished yoghurt sauce, ideally with flatbread or crusty bread.
Notes
- Use a heavy-based pan if an outdoor grill is unavailable; stovetop cooking works equally well.
- Vegetables should remain slightly undercooked after grilling since they will continue to soften while resting.
- Generous olive oil drizzling at the end enhances the flavor and mouthfeel.
- This dish can be prepared ahead and stored chilled, just bring it back to room temperature before serving.
- Pair with flatbread or crusty bread to complete the dish.
