Baba Ghannoj

Eggplant Dip

(Baba Ghannoj)

1 medium eggplant (about 1 pound)

1 clove garlic, or 1/8 tsp. garlic powder

Lemon juice (to taste)

1 TBL olive oil

Salt

Optional ingredients:

1 small onion, chopped

Tahini (sesame seed paste)

Plain yogurt

Prick eggplant 3 or 4 times with a fork. Bake in 400 degree oven until tender, about 40 minutes. Cool. Pare eggplant, cut into cubes. Place eggplant, garlic, lemon juice, oil and salt (plus any optional ingredients) in a blender container. Cover and blend on high speed until smooth. Serve with vegetable dippers, crackers, tortilla chips, or small pieces of pita bread.

Note: I make this recipe without onions or tahini, but always with plain yogurt to make it smoother. Experiment with the other ingredients (especially salt) to find what you like best. The original recipe calls for 1/4 cup lemon juice, but this is pretty strong. Start with one tablespoon and increase to taste.

This recipe freezes extremely well. You may need to add a bit more oil or yogurt after thawing out a batch.

Makes approximately two cups.

Recipe from Amaria Najem O’Leary