Baba Ghannoush

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 kg eggplant(s)
• 1 onion(s)
• 4 cloves garlic
• ½ cup(s) sesame paste (tahina), which is available ready-made in Turkish grocery stores)
• a little salt and pepper
• 1 lemon(s), the juice
• Mint, fresh or coriander leaves
• olive oil

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 30 minutes

Appetizer from Egypt

Halve the eggplants and grill them in the oven with the onion wrapped in aluminum foil until golden brown. Let the vegetables cool, then scrape the eggplant flesh and chop it. Peel the onion and cut it into small cubes. Crush the garlic cloves and puree them with the grilled vegetables in a blender (how coarsely or finely depends on your taste). Stir in the tahini and season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. If the mixture is too thick, add a little water. Serve on plates – the baba ghanug is usually spread out on the plate, garnished with fresh mint leaves (or cilantro, or parsley in a pinch), and drizzled with olive oil. Served with flatbread, it’s almost a proper meal!