Baba Ghanoush,(بابا غنوج), eggplant dip

 Baba Ghanoush is a Levantine dish of eggplant mashed and mixed with virgin olive oil and various seasonings.

I love Arabic culture, because they really know how to express themselves with their colorful clothing and jewelry and they express it in their cuisine too, which is so full of flavor and so many variations of different spices, which make dishes look so colorful and pleasant not only to eat but also to look at it. I enjoy cooking Arabic dishes because they are so simple and easy to make, but the flavors are so different than any other cuisines, that after you take a bite you will never forget that taste again and will want more. Just like this dip, you will not find anything that has the same taste. Well lets get cooking!


Ingredients:

1-2 eggplants (totaling 1 lbs)

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp roasted sesame seeds, grinded

1/2 tsp sesame oil

1-2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 1/2 tbsp black olives, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tbsp lemon juice

Salt and cayenne pepper to taste

You can also add sunflower seeds if you like them, chop just a bit

1. Preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit (200° Celcius).
2. Prick the eggplant with a fork. Then place on a cookie sheet and put into the hot oven.

3. Roast the eggplant for about 40 minutes or until very soft inside. Check with a fork, if it goes through smoothly, its ready.
4. Cool completely.
5. Scoop out the eggplant's pulp and place in a food processor. Don't use the skin of the eggplant, that gives bitterness(I use a little bit of it). Pulse until pureed, but still has some texture.

6. In separate bowl, stir together sesame seeds and sesame oil.
7. Add rest of the ingredients to the sesame seeds and stir well.

8. Add eggplant, and mix well.