Baba Ganouj

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Just in case you needed something to go with extra chapatis – this dish does not necessarily benefit the heart, but it sure does tickle the taste buds, and the tongue is the sense organ associated with the heart :-)

2 medium eggplants
2 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp. tahini (sesame butter)
1 tsp. salt
Juice of 1 lemon
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Wash and dry the eggplants.

Turn on two burners of a gas stove, and place one eggplant in the center of each burner. Allow the skin to blacken, and, using kitchen tongs, turn the eggplant in the flame until it is evenly charred. Place charred eggplants in a plastic bag, seal it well, and leave for 10 minutes.  

If you do not have a gas stove, place the eggplants whole in a baking pan.  Place under the broiler and broil, turning every 10 minutes, until the eggplants are evenly blackened.  This will take about 1 hour. Then, place the eggplants in a plastic bag, seal it well, and leave for 10 minutes.

Remove eggplants from the plastic bag. Under running water, remove the charred skin from the eggplants with your fingers. It is ok if there are small specks of black skin remaining, but try to remove as much as possible.

Squeeze the peeled eggplants to remove as much moisture as possible, then place them in a food processor bowl fitted with the metal blade. Add the garlic, tahini, salt, olive oil and lemon juice and process on high until smooth.

To serve, place in a decorative serving bowl. Drizzle olive oil over the top and sprinkle with a small amount of paprika (just a dusting to give an attractive color). Hand out a plate of chapatis and enjoy as a dip.

Try not to eat the whole bowl in one setting........