The Perfect Smoky Baba Ghanouj, Served In Roasted Red Bell Peppers

Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 4 medium eggplants
• 6 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste)
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 medium tomato
• 2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
• 1 -2 tablespoon soy sauce
• 4 large red bell peppers
• pita bread (optional)

Recipe

• 1 preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• 2 take 4 eggplants of medium size.
• 3 chop off the hard top 1" of each eggplant, and then cut each eggplant in half.
• 4 for each half, score the inside flesh- i. e. cut deep incisions
• 5 cut deep incisions 1/2" apart, lengthwise and widthwise.
• 6 then turn the half over, and make several deep punctures in the skin of the eggplant.
• 7 when finished, place the halves with the inner flesh facing upwards on a baking sheet (or two), and bake for 1 hour.
• 8 i suggest keeping a window open during this time.
• 9 after the eggplants have baked for an hour, take them out of the oven, and cut each half into six to eight large chunks.
• 10 then put all the chunks into a blender, and blend to as smooth a consistency as possible.
• 11 next add the following ingredients: 6 tablespoons of tahini (sesame paste), 2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1/4 cup of fresh finely chopped cilantro, 2 tbs dark sesame oil.
• 12 blend again,'til you have a paste-like consistency.
• 13 at this point, start tasting the baba ghanouj.
• 14 the tahini gives a smooth texture and creamy taste.
• 15 the lemon juice naturally makes the mixture tarter and wetter; so they balance each other out.
• 16 if one seems to be dominating the mixture excessively, add a bit more of the other.
• 17 the sesame oil adds moisture; you may want more or less of this.
• 18 here are some other ingredients i added and blent in, to achieve balance: 1 tomato (adds moisture and richness, without the calories of the oil; also makes it less smoky); 1-2 tbs soy sauce (adds saltiness) (go slowly with this; it's a strong flavor).
• 19 so, taste it as you go and see what it needs.
• 20 if you follow the amounts i've outlined here, you'll end up with something that tastes good.
• 21 next (or simultaneously while mixing): cut the 4 red bell peppers in half, and place skin-side up under broiler for 10-15 min, until skin is half red, half black.
• 22 remove from oven.
• 23 when cool enough to handle, place the red bell pepper halves skin-side-down on serving plates, and spoon a few tablespoons of baba ghanouj atop each.
• 24 garnish each with a sprig of cilantro atop the baba ghanouj, for prettiness.
• 25 there will likely be baba ghanouj left over, so get some pita bread to make sandwiches.
• 26 or, make sandwiches in the first place, by slicing the red bell peppers up and putting those with the baba ghanouj inside of pita.
• 27 enjoy!