Smoky Eggplant & Yogurt Dip

Your summer snack game just got upgraded.

Time to read: 3 mins | Time to make: 1 hour | Yields: 9 servings

Ingredients

• 1 large eggplant*

• 1.5 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1 cup (200 g) Greek yogurt

• 2 heaped tablespoons of tahini or 50g of light cream cheese

• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, more to taste

• 1/2 teaspoon of salt

• ¼ teaspoon cayenne
  

Garnish:

• Sumac

• ½ lemon’s zest

Serving:

• Toasted Pita Bread

Method

1.  Heat oven to 400º F (200º C). Using a knife or fork, prick the eggplant in several places to keep it from bursting—roast for 30 to 45 minutes, or until you can easily pierce it with a knife. Let the eggplant cool until safe to handle. To make peeling easier, cover the eggplant with a lid or wrap it in the foil.

2. Once the eggplant has cooled down, remove the flesh and discard skins. Chop it nicely on the cutting board.

3. Heat olive oil on medium heat, then add garlic and cook for a minute. Add the eggplant and stir it nicely to incorporate with oil and garlic. Season with salt. Cook for another 2-3 minutes for all the flavors to come together. Remove from the heat and allow to cool down.

4. Mix yogurt and tahini or cream cheese in a bowl, add the eggplant-garlic mix, lemon juice, and cayenne. Mix until thoroughly combined.

5. Taste and adjust seasoning according to your preference, and add more yogurt or lemon if you’d like.

6. Place in an airtight container and refrigerate for an hour before serving. This dip gets only better as it sits in the fridge.

7. Sprinkle with sumac and serve with toasted pita chips or crudités (cucumber, carrot, etc.)

Notes

• Eggplant:  1.3 lb (590 g) before baking. 0.7 lb (325 g) of baked eggplant, skin removed - flash only. How big or small is your eggplant will determine how much yogurt and other ingredients you are using.

• Yogurt: If you have access to labneh (very thick yogurt/cheese), use 1 cup of that in substitution for yogurt.

Nutrition facts, per serving (50 g) :

Energy: 68kcal | Carbs: 6 g | Protein: 2 g | Fat: 4 g

Blended spread with extra cayenne :)