Baba ghanoush has a deliciously smoky and nutty taste and a creamy texture and is a great way to "hide" eggplant for reluctant eggplant eaters. Serve it with wedges of warm pita bread.
• Dice 2 large eggplants into large cubes. Place in a bowl; stir in 2 teaspoons salt. (Eggplants can be bitter; salting helps rid them of the bitter taste.) Set aside for 20 minutes.
• Rinse salted cubed eggplant; pat dry with paper towels.
• Heat 6 tablespoons olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Fry eggplant until golden brown, adding more oil, if necessary.
• Remove from heat and let cool. Place in a serving bowl.
• Slice 2 mild green chillies into strips and add to bowl. Combine 3 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, salt and pepper. Stir into salad.
• Serve with pita bread and tomatoes.
Tahini is a paste made from ground sesame seeds. It is a key ingredient in hummus and other Middle Eastern recipes . Tahini is available from delicatessens and health food stores and is sold both salted and unsalted. Once opened, it will keep in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for several weeks.
Delicious! For extra smoky flavour I added a tiny dash of Wright's Hickory Concentrated Liquid Smoke (a product I bought in the US). I used one huge eggplant which wasn't quite ready at 30 mins and needed an extra 20 mins baking time. Didn't have tahini either and it turned out fine. Great served with baked Lebanese Bread chips. - 17 Aug 2009