DIP D'AUBERGINES

This is a quick and delicious dish that contains one of my favorite ingredients: aubergines! A recipe handed down to me from my mother, it's a much more vibrant version of the traditional Middle Eastern appetizer “mtabbal” with chunks of tomatoes, parsley and mint to add that rich, juicy flavor.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 medium aubergines/eggplants (peeled and cut into cubes)

• 2 medium tomatoes (cut into cubes)

• 2 tablespoons tahini

• Juice of one lemon

• 1 clove of garlic, minced

• 400g yogurt

• A handful of fresh parsley and mint, roughly chopped

• Salt to taste

PREPARATION

1. Fry salted cubed eggplants until soft, then transfer them into a bowl lined with thick kitchen roll to suck all the reserve oil. Remove kitchen roll and grind the eggplants in the bowl, add tomatoes, parsley and mint over them.

2. In a separate medium bowl, add 2 tablespoons of tahini with a little tepid water and stir with a fork until smooth. Add lemon, salt and garlic to the mix, then top it all off with the yogurt. Keep stirring until well combined and the mixture is smooth. Taste it and see if it needs more lemon, salt or yogurt. Some people prefer the tahini taste to standout, while others prefer it to simply add flavor – add as much yogurt as you want depending on your preference.

3. Finally, pour the tahini/yogurt mix over the eggplant mix and stir until all ingredients are well combined. You can serve immediately, or refrigerate it overnight.