BABA GANOUSH

Today I decided to make "BABA GANOUSH". This Lebanese eggplant paste/dip is a perfect accompaniment to the white bread I baked.
This special oriental eggplant puree was really delicious and spicy! Since I love the taste of garlic I have added one clove more, but if you prefer to not have an overwhelming breath the next day, thenyou can half the quantity of cloves!!!...

Yields a medium bowl.

Ingredients:
2 Medium eggplants/aubergines, cut in half lengthways
4 Cloves garlic
5 Tbs Tahini paste
4 Tbs olive oil
1 Lemon, pressed to extract it's juice
1 Pinch paprika powder
2 Pinches cumin powder
Salt, to taste

Method:
1. Spread salt on the inside of the cut eggplants and leave them to rest for about 15 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven at 190° celsius.
3. Rinse the eggplants under running water and then dry them with kitchen paper.
4. Place them on a tray and cook them for about 25 minutes in the oven or until they are soft.
5. Once they are out of the oven, peel them entirely. You'll see that if they are well-cooked, the peel is easy to take away by gently pulling it off the vegetable.
6. Put the cooked and peeled eggplants in a mixer with all the other ingredients (garlic, tahini paste, lemon juice, olive oil, paprika powder, cumin powder and salt). Mix them until you get a smooth puree/paste.

Serving suggestions:
This fabulous paste is best served as an accompaniment to bread. The Mediterranean "PITA" (or "KHUBZ" which is the oriental equivalent of Pita bread) is sensational with "BABA GANOUSH", but of course, you can also serve it with Indian "NAAN", Turkish "EKMEK", any ordinary or flat bread if you wish.

Remarks:
"Tahini" (or "Tahina") is a paste/cream which results from a mixture between sesame flour and oil. It is a typical Turkish, Greek and Arabic speciality that can be found in all oriental food stores.

(Baba Ganoush -Pic by www.ziyad.com)
(Beirut -Pic by Shanon Daghet www.trekearth.com)