Sephardic Eggplant Stew (Estofado de Berenjenas Sefaradí)
A cherished Sephardic recipe spanning generations — from Turkey and Greece to Morocco and the Americas.
Delving deep into my family's culinary lineage, I rediscovered this cherished recipe — a testament to the rich gastronomic traditions that have flowed through generations of Sephardic Jews spanning regions from Turkey and Greece to Morocco. This eggplant stew captures the essence of Sephardic flavours, combining the velvety texture of sautéed eggplants with aromatic spices: garlic, coriander, cumin, and a touch of cinnamon.
What makes it particularly delightful is its adaptability. It stands robustly on its own but also pairs harmoniously with spiced lamb koftas, tabbouleh, or a spicy matbucha. My family typically serves it alongside freshly baked bread, fluffy rice, or corn arepas. The final touch of feta or beyaz peynir, slightly melted into the warm stew, elevates the flavours and adds a comforting creaminess.
- 2medium eggplantsabout 450 g / 1 lb total, cut into small cubes
- 200 gfeta or beyaz peynir cheesediced or crumbled
- 1medium onionfinely chopped
- 2garlic clovesminced
- 1½ tspground cumin
- ½ tspground cinnamon
- 1½ tspground coriander
- 165 mlextra virgin olive oil
- —fresh parsleyfinely chopped, to garnish
- —salt and black pepperto taste
As featured on
Tablet Magazine ↗Cut the eggplants into small cubes. In a medium frying pan, heat ½ cup of the olive oil. When hot, add the eggplant cubes and fry until medium-browned. Set aside and cool to room temperature.
In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, add 3 tablespoons of olive oil, then the cumin, onion, cinnamon, and garlic. Sauté for 5–6 minutes until the onions turn translucent.
Add the fried eggplant cubes and continue cooking until they are soft and half-browned, about 10 more minutes.
Turn off the heat and incorporate the feta or beyaz peynir cubes. Stir gently, letting the warmth of the stew melt the cheese slightly.
Sprinkle with fresh parsley. Season with salt and pepper carefully — the cheese is already salty.
Both feta and beyaz peynir are quite salty — season the stew carefully and taste before adding any additional salt.
Unlike many eggplant stews, this version is cheese-forward rather than tomato-based. The absence of acidity lets the spices and the cheese carry the dish.
My family typically serves this with freshly baked bread, fluffy rice, or corn arepas. It also pairs beautifully with a spicy matbucha salad on the side.