Mderbel — Morocco

Mderbel is a vegetable dish from Morocco built around eggplant, and sometimes zucchini or potato, that is fried before being finished in a spiced tomato sauce, with beaten egg stirred in at the end to bind everything into a soft, saucy dish. It is reported mainly from northern Moroccan cities, particularly around Fez, where it is served as a side or a light main course alongside bread, and is associated with home cooking rather than restaurant menus. To prepare it, sliced eggplant is salted to draw out bitterness, rinsed, dried and fried in oil until golden, then set aside. A sauce of tomatoes, garlic, cumin, paprika and a little olive oil is reduced until thick, the fried eggplant is folded back in to absorb the sauce, and beaten eggs are poured over the top and left to set gently over low heat, sometimes finished with fresh coriander. What distinguishes one version of mderbel from another is mainly the vegetable mix — some cooks add zucchini or potato alongside the eggplant — and the amount of egg used, which can range from a light binding to a fuller, omelette-like finish, while the fried-then-braised technique remains the constant thread.