Your mother-in-law may not love the name of this dish, but I promise she’ll love the taste. And so will you. Today, I’m sharing a recipe for Eneniñ Tili or Tongue of the Mother-in-Law. Not only is this my very first recipe submission from Kazakhstan, but it’s also the latest submission in my, “How the World Eats Eggplant” series.

When it comes to eggplant, recipes usually focus on serving it as large pieces or chunks or mashed into a dip or sauce. And hey, I have absolutely no complaints about any of that. However, Eneniñ Tili breaks the eggplant recipe mold. For this dish, a mandolin or sharp knife is used to slice thin eggplant ribbons. These strips are of course where the “Tongue of the Mother-in-Law” nickname comes in. The eggplant ribbons are lightly fried, left to cool, and then coated in a delicious mixture of sour cream, mayo, garlic, and fresh herbs like mint, parsley, and cilantro. The coated eggplant slices are wrapped around a few tomato slices to form neat little eggplant parcels.

Dare I say, that the result might just be the perfect combination of eggplant, tomatoes, and garlic around. Luckily I think Daiana, who submitted this recipe, might just agree. According to Daiana, this Kazakh dish actually began as a Georgian dish. However, after tasting Eneniñ Tili, the Kazakh people happily embraced the recipe as their own over time. For Daiana and her family, it’s a recipe that’s pulled out for family reunions and joyful events, which is only fitting for a dish that inspires so much tasty joy.

Even though Eneniñ Tili is traditionally treated as an appetizer, it’s an eggplant dish that I would happily eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I particularly love that it’s both a cooked dish and a cold one because it’s a rare combination that’s so satisfyingly perfect for summer. Eneniñ Tili is crunchy, creamy, fresh, and a great way to sneak in some extra veggies. (Although technically speaking they’re both fruits). Apologies in advance to my mother-in-law, but this may be one of my all time favorite new ways to eat eggplant.