It was love at first taste and it happened at the Damascus restaurant in Denver, CO. Smoky eggplant, a small bitter kick from the tahini a hint of garlic and the fruity olive oil.
The recipe is a combination of cuisines - the Baingan Bharta meets the Baba Ghanouj. The Anaheim pepper packs in a lot of flavor without the heat and the tamarind provides the acidity.
1 Eggplant
1/4 onion
1 Anaheim pepper
1/2 tomato
*1/4 c toasted sesame seeds
1/4 tsp cumin powder
**1 tsp tamarind paste
2 garlic cloves peeled
1 tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Roast eggplant under broiler for about 20 minutes on each side.
Place in a covered bowl and allow to steam for another 10 minutes. When it is cool enough to handle, peel the eggplant and chop roughly.
Saute onion, garlic and pepper with canola oil for about 12 minutes until the onions have turned very soft. Add the tomato and continue cooking until the tomato releases some liquid. Add the tamarind paste to the saute and stir well to combine.Add salt to taste
Add the toasted sesame seeds to the food processor through the feed tube with the motor running. Process until you have a coarse and chunky butter.
Add the eggplant, the sauteed onion mixture and the cumin to the processor bowl and puree to a fairly smooth consistency. Taste and adjust for salt.
Transfer the contents to a serving bowl and finish with the olive oil.
Serve with pita wedges, crackers or use as a sandwich spread.
* Toasted sesame seeds are available in Japanese markets
** Tamarind paste can be found at Indian grocery stores in plastic tubs. I usually buy 'Tamicon" brand which is a concentrated paste.
The recipe is a combination of cuisines - the Baingan Bharta meets the Baba Ghanouj. The Anaheim pepper packs in a lot of flavor without the heat and the tamarind provides the acidity.
1 Eggplant
1/4 onion
1 Anaheim pepper
1/2 tomato
*1/4 c toasted sesame seeds
1/4 tsp cumin powder
**1 tsp tamarind paste
2 garlic cloves peeled
1 tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Roast eggplant under broiler for about 20 minutes on each side.
Place in a covered bowl and allow to steam for another 10 minutes. When it is cool enough to handle, peel the eggplant and chop roughly.
Saute onion, garlic and pepper with canola oil for about 12 minutes until the onions have turned very soft. Add the tomato and continue cooking until the tomato releases some liquid. Add the tamarind paste to the saute and stir well to combine.Add salt to taste
Add the toasted sesame seeds to the food processor through the feed tube with the motor running. Process until you have a coarse and chunky butter.
Add the eggplant, the sauteed onion mixture and the cumin to the processor bowl and puree to a fairly smooth consistency. Taste and adjust for salt.
Transfer the contents to a serving bowl and finish with the olive oil.
Serve with pita wedges, crackers or use as a sandwich spread.
* Toasted sesame seeds are available in Japanese markets
** Tamarind paste can be found at Indian grocery stores in plastic tubs. I usually buy 'Tamicon" brand which is a concentrated paste.
I've just purchased some turmeric for some beet falafal I want to make. I feel like you will have some other ideas for how I can use it!
ReplyDeleteLove Baba Ghanouj. I had no idea you were blogging, Tibik-- landed here purely by accident. :) I'm glad I did.
ReplyDeleteVaishali,Thank you, the blogging is out of pure necessity to quell complaints that the said dish tastes different every time I make it.
ReplyDeleteSarah, The turmeric use it in (almost) everything. Throw it in stews, soups, rice dishes, stir fries any time you want your dish to get colored a lovely yellow and turmeric is so good for you. Beet recipes will come up soon.