Monday, February 8, 2016

Middle Eastern Roasted Eggplant Dip

Baba Ganoush - Middle Eastern Eggplant Dip

I am back!! 2.5 months, 5 casts, 1 surgery, 1 cancelled overseas trip and a bit of drama later - but I am back. I can't even begin to tell you how much I have missed my kitchen, my camera and this blog. Not to mention, having a shower with a shopping bag tied around your arm is the least fun thing in the world. EVER. Like seriously.


Baba Ganoush - Middle Eastern Eggplant Dip


As you can imagine, it's been baby steps back in the kitchen. This Mediterranean eggplant dip is so easy - the food processor does most of the work. This recipe is inspired by a zucchini dip that one of my best friends made for me years ago. The true benefit of this dip is that it keeps vampires away. That's right - a small mountain of garlic, yogurt and really good quality extra virgin olive oil and you're home free.

Note - I added dried mint to this dip but it is actually better without it, so I don't recommend it in my ingredients list.


Yield - Serves 6
Prep Time - 10 Minutes
Cook Time - 40 Minutes


Baba Ganoush - Middle Eastern Eggplant Dip


Ingredients


2 Medium Eggplants
4 Cloves Garlic
2 Tablespoons Yogurt
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
10 - 12 Walnuts
1 Tablespoon Parsley (chopped)
Salt, to taste


Method


With a sharp knife, make slits all over the eggplants, spray some olive oil all over them and roast them in the oven for about 30 - 40 minutes at 175 C (350 F) till fully cooked. It is best to let the eggplants cool completely before peeling the skin off.




Place the eggplant pulp in a food processor and blitz it to a nice smooth paste.



Like so...



Toast and roughly chop the walnuts. Tip : I toast them in the microwave when I am in a hurry. I start by microwaving the nuts for a minute, toss them and then stick them back in for 30 seconds. Total time depends on the amount of nuts but for this recipe, it only takes about a minute or two at the most.



In a mixing bowl, combine the yogurt and garlic (ignore the dried mint in the picture below!) and add a dash or two of salt. To taste.



Mix the sauce.



Add the eggplant and fold in the sauce gently. Add half the walnuts.



To serve, add a generous splash of EVOO and sprinkle the rest of the chopped walnuts. Garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with pita bread.


Baba Ganoush - Middle Eastern Eggplant Dip

Enjoy!

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