Middle Eastern Roasted 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.

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

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.

Enjoy!

2 comments LABELS: Appetizers, Dips and Spreads, Mediterranean, Vegetarian