INSTANT POT GREEK EGGPLANT DIP RECIPE (MELITZANOSALATA)

Our Instant Pot Greek Eggplant Dip recipe makes a traditional and deliciously creamy appetizer with garlic and lemony flavours. Pair with some grilled pita or crusty bread for a tasty and indulgent meze.

When was the last time that you ate four eggplants in one sitting? You haven’t?? Well, once you try our Instant Pot Greek Eggplant Dip recipe it will be ALL THE TIME because it is seriously so good.

Greek Eggplant Dip is called Melitzanosalata or Μελιτζανοσαλάτα in Greek (pronounced meli-tza-no-sa-LA-ta). In Greek, “Melitzana” means eggplant and “Salata” means salad so the literal translation is Eggplant Salad.

Traditionally, this dish is made with roasted eggplants in the oven or grilled on a barbeque, but we’ve changed it by cooking them in the Instant Pot. We love the Instant Pot because it saves you time and effort and uses less energy than an oven.

WHAT IS INSTANT POT GREEK EGGPLANT DIP?

Similar to baba ghanouj, which is a popular arabic-style eggplant dip, melitzanosalata takes eggplants to another level. The difference between baba ghanouj and melitzanoslata is baba ghanouj contains tahini and is also pureed to a smooth consistency. In contrast, melitzanosalata is chopped, leaving a chunky but smooth and soft texture.

It’s a little difficult to describe the flavour of our Instant Pot Eggplant Dip recipe without doing it justice. There is a roasted, slightly smokey, almost nutty taste to the eggplant. A deep undertone of garlic with a burst of freshness from the parsley. The vinegar-lemon combination adds a bright tartness. And finally, there is the smooth creaminess from the texture of the cooked eggplant and mayonnaise. They all meld together in perfect harmony creating your new favourite dip. To perfect the taste it needs to sit in the fridge for at least one hour, but ideally longer. The longer it settles the more the flavours infuse together.

Serve melitzanosalata however you please. As an appetizer before a meal, on the side as a dip, or served with fresh bread, dry breads, grilled pitas, rusks, put it in a sandwich to make it fancy, or just eat it on its own. Once I start eating it I can’t stop and next thing you know, I’ve eaten 4 eggplants! A great way to get your daily 5-a-day.

IS IT A DIP OR A SALAD?

Well, it’s both! Kind of like how potato salad is classified as a salad but it’s not what you would think of as a traditional leafy salad. Technically a salad is any cold dish of small pieces of food, such as cut meat, seafood, eggs, pasta, vegetables or fruit, mixed with a dressing. Instant Pot Greek Eggplant Dip recipe can be eaten as an appetizer or meze before a meal, or as a dip with some grilled pita or crusty bread.

INGREDIENTS FOR MELITZANOSLATA

• 4 (a bit over 1 kilo) large purple eggplants
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil for frying the eggplant halves
• 1 garlic peeled, pressed
• 3 tbsp fresh parsley finely chopped
• 2 tsp lemon juice fresh-squeezed
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise regular or vegan

HOW TO MAKE OUR INSTANT POT MELITZANOSALATA RECIPE

Here is your full step-by-step guide on how to cook and prepare our delicious Instant Pot Eggplant Dip recipe.

• First, wash the eggplants and cut off the stem. Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise. Score the flesh with a sharp knife, making shallow slits in a diagonal pattern but careful not to cut through the skin. Scoring the flesh is recommended as it will help with the absorption of the olive oil and allow it to cook more evenly.
• Press the Saute button on the Instant Pot and set it to High. After 2 minutes add 1/2 of the extra virgin olive oil to the liner. Keeping the lid removed, add 2-3 halves of eggplant to the bottom of the liner with the flesh side down so it seers. Fry the eggplant for about 1 minute until the flesh takes some colour and there are some browned bits. Remove the fried eggplant pieces and set aside. Continue frying the remaining eggplant in batches, adding olive oil to the liner as needed. When all pieces are fried, rinse the liner and scrape to remove the burnt bits.
• Add one cup of water to the Instant Pot liner. Place the metal trivet inside the liner and a metal steaming rack on top of it. Carefully place the eggplant halves in the steaming rack with the flesh side down. Close the lid of the Instant Pot and turn the release valve to the closed position. Set the manual pressure cook timer to 3 minutes.

• When the cooking is complete, carefully turn the pressure release valve to allow for a Quick Pressure Release. Carefully remove the lid and remove the steaming rack with the eggplant inside (the rack is hot so use oven mitts) and place it in a bowl to cool to room temperature. Do not remove the eggplant from the steaming rack as you want the access juices to drain from the eggplants.
• Scoop out the eggplant flesh from the skins and discard the skin. Place the flesh in a sieve to allow more liquid to drain or place in a cheesecloth and very gently squeeze out access liquid. It’s important to remove a fair amount of the liquid as this will give the dip a creamier texture.
• Place eggplant in a bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Vigorously mix with a fork to break up the eggplant into smaller chunks.
• Now for the difficult part… you have to let it over and refrigerate for at least one hour to allow the flavours to meld together.

BENEFITS OF COOKING MELITZANOSLATA IN THE INSTANT POT

As with all recipes, you’ll find dozens of versions where you can make the same dish in the oven or the grill. For this recipe, using the Instant Pot is not just a time-saver but also an energy saver. I don’t know about in your area but for us energy prices have sky-rocketed in the past few years. With the cost of living increasing, we are always looking for ways to reduce costs. One way that has really helped us is by limiting the use of our oven. The Instant Pot is much more energy efficient than the oven so that is a major bonus.

By sautéing the eggplants first, you’re creating the light smokey taste that the dish is famous for and allowing it to absorb the olive oil creating another layer of flavour. Sautéing only takes a few minutes and then the amount of time to pressure cook the eggplants is less than it takes to roast them in the oven.

OPTIONAL EXTRAS FOR OUR MELITZANOSALATA RECIPE

Our Melitzanoslata is an excellent base recipe. As always, modifications and additions are welcome to suit your palate. Some people prefer to add more vinegar or garlic or mayonnaise. When ordering Melitzanosalata at Greek tavernas, you will sometimes find it topped with capers or olives. My personal favourite is adding chopped sundried tomatoes. I prefer sundried tomatoes marinated in oil as they have a softer texture and richer taste than simple dried sundried tomatoes.

ALLERGY INFORMATION FOR GREEK EGGPLANT DIP

Our Greek Eggplant Dip recipe is:

• Dairy-free
• Nut-free
• Peanut-free
• Wheat-free
• Soy-free
• Sesame-free
• Fish-free
• Crustacean-free
• Celery-free
• Mustard-free

This recipe contains eggs from the mayonnaise and sulphites in the vinegar so it is not a “Top Allergen-free” recipe. Use vegan mayonnaise instead of regular mayonnaise to turn it into an egg-free and vegan dish.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS FOR GREEK EGGPLANT DIP

Melitzanolsalata is traditionally served as a meze before the main meal. However, it is not limited to being just an appetizer with dinner. Enjoy it at breakfast with a side of eggs. Snack on it with your other favourite dips such as tzatziki or hummus with some nice crusty bread, grilled pita, dry breads like rusks, or breadsticks. Or simply eat it by the spoonful! There is no limit to this versatile dish.

Our Instant Pot Greek Eggplant Dip recipe is also great for parties, potlucks, barbeques, and picnics.

Before serving it remember to drizzle the top with extra virgin olive oil, and any optional extra mentioned above that you prefer.

HOW TO STORE INSTANT POT GREEK EGGPLANT DIP

Store leftover Instant Pot Greek Eggplant Salad in an air-tight glass container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I do not recommend freezing this dish as the texture will not be pleasant.

FUN FACTS ABOUT EGGPLANTS…

Whilst eggplant is usually referred to as a vegetable, botanically it is actually a fruit… and more precisely it is a BERRY!

Eggplants are high in fibre and naturally have a laxative effect. They are low in calories and an excellent food to incorporate into your diet if you’re following a weight-loss regime or trying to increase your veggie intake.

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