‘Armenian Blistered Eggplant Dip’, aka Baba Ghanoush or Moutabal – a Lenten recipe

Back in December we were pleased to see a recipe for ‘Armenian Blistered Eggplant Dip’ by Dayana Sarkisova in the Washington Post. Why did this make us happy? Because the recipe, also known as ‘Baba Ghanoush’ or ‘Moutabal’,  is one that we love. We also enjoy the grilled zucchini version of this, Mama Ghanoush.

By the way, this is perfect for Lent, which begins on
Monday, February 24^th this year.

The Armenian Kitchen‘s version of ‘Armenian Blistered Eggplant Dip’

Here’s my version of ‘Armenian Blistered Eggplant Dip’ – 

‘Baba Ghanoush’, or, ‘Moutabal’:

(Making this recipe a day in advance will allow the flavors
to develop.)
Yield: about 1 ½ to 2 cups


Ingredients:


2 large purple eggplants
2 large cloves garlic, roasted and mashed
¼ cup chopped parsley or cilantro
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. Aleppo pepper (freshly ground black pepper may be
substituted)
1 tsp. ground sumac (sold in Middle Eastern stores)
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice


Directions:


Preheat oven to 475°F. Line a baking sheet with heavy-duty
aluminum foil.


Rinse eggplant; pat dry. Using a paring knife or fork, pierce
the eggplant all around.

Roasted eggplant

Wrap 2 large, unpeeled garlic cloves in foil. Place pierced
eggplant and wrapped garlic on prepared baking sheet. Roast for about 30-35 minutes
or until eggplant and garlic are soft. To test for softness, insert the fork or
paring knife into the eggplant. It should slide in without any resistance.


Using tongs, place eggplant on a wire rack to cool. Remove
garlic from foil; gently squeeze softened garlic into a bowl and mash with a
fork. Set garlic aside until ready to add.

Eggplant mixture before processing

Once eggplant is cool enough to handle, put it on a cutting
board, pull away the skin and discard. Roughly chop the eggplant, then place it
in a mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients mixing to combine.


To make a semi-smooth mixture, puree it in a food processor
for a few seconds, but don’t over-do it.


Return mixture to the mixing bowl to adjust seasonings, if
necessary.


To Serve: Place eggplant dip into a
serving bowl. Garnish with chopped parsley or cilantro. Add a sprinkling of
sumac and a drizzle of olive oil, if desired.


It’s best served at room temperature with chips, crackers, vegetable
sticks, pita bread triangles, or lavash.