I first tried Zaalouk at a Mediterranean restaurant in Hong Kong. After several coy tries of figuring out what exactly went into this delectable dip, I had asked the owner for the recipe (none of the ones online did it any sort of justice!). He obviously didn't reveal it all, but did mention that its "simply a blend of roasted eggplant, garlic, red pepper, lots of tomatoes and common spices". Ha, a sentence that didn't give away much, but just enough for the sleuth in me to set off on a culinary mission and decipher this recipe! After a few tries, I felt I had come pretty close to what I tasted in the restaurant - the missing ingredients was probably just the amount of oil I could get myself to use at home!