Today was the great dinner party to end all dinner parties!

My University work had to fit in with the preparation required to make this meal a success, so here comes dish number 1:

This post will be set in the stunning oasis that is the province of Lavant, this area includes the countries of Lebanon, Syria, the Palestinian Territories, Jordan, Egypt, and Israel.

Babaganoush is generally served as an entree or side dish. It is made of grilled eggplant combined with tahini, cumin, lemon juice, cumin and salt and pepper. My dish is a slight twist on the traditional – by using chick peas instead of tahini.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

3 Medium Long Purple Eggplants
1 Lemon
3 Cloves of Garlic
1 can of chickpeas
4 Tbsp of Olive Oil
1 tsp of salt
1 tsp of cumin
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
(Optional: 1 – 2 tbsp of natural yoghurt)
1 Sprig of Parsley and a sprinkle of dill to serve
Chopped walnuts to serve

Method:

1. Grill the eggplants until their flesh change colour and they become soft to touch.
2. Let cool until just cool enough to touch, then peel off their skins.
3. Add the flesh to a blender and whizz until smooth
4. Finely chop the garlic and combine in a small bowl with 2 Tbsp of Olive Oil, salt, pepper, cumin and the lemon juice. Set aside
5. Heat a pan on a medium high heat and saute the eggplant in the remaining olive oil.
6. While this is happening place the chick peas in the blender and whizz until smooth. Add these to the pan and combine.
7. Cook for around 1 – 2 minutes and then add the lemon/garlic mixture and stir quickly to combine.
8. Remove from the heat after 30 seconds.
9. You can add some natural yoghurt, here to make it even more smooth.
10. Otherwise serve with chopped parsley and dill and a sprinkle of walnut pieces. I also had grilled foccacia bread on the side for dipping.

Bon Appetit!

It was declared delicious by our guests and hopefully you will try the recipe and love it too!

– Ginga Musings.