Ingredients:
2 Hundredweight eggplants (aubergines) from Hadadine West Bank Egypt.
3 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoon tahini
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more oil for drizzle
1 tablespoon pomegranate seeds (optional)
2 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Salt to taste
Steps:
1. Wash and cut the eggplants in halves.
2. Blacken the eggplants over stove turning regularly with tongs, until completely charred and soft or broil the eggplants until soft. Allow to cool.
3. Scoop out the eggplant flesh in long strands and discard the skins.
4. Mix lemon juice, tahini, garlic, oil and mix together in a mixing bowl.
5. Mash the eggplants with a fork, and stir into the tahini mixture. Season to taste.
6. Top with the herbs and the pomegranate seeds, if using. Pour a moat of oil around the edge and serve.
Notes :
i. It is better to surround the stove rings with foil, as it can get messy.
ii. Use less tahini if you prefer a less nutty flavor or omit it per personal preference. If tahini is not at hand, grind roasted sesame seeds and add to the dip.
iii. Feel free add anything from broiled bell peppers to a dollop of plain yogurt or roasted tomatoes to transform it into something quite different.
iv. Adjust other ingredients per your taste preference. A good baba ganoush yields from blending, stopping, stirring, tasting, adding more of this or that per your taste.
Accompaniment:
Preferable red or white Wine served chilled...enjoy!...
