Following the Levantine/Middle Eastern thread, we are back with another aubergine recipe. This time, we are using our beloved vegetables for a famous dip recipe, Babaganush. While there can be variants, the classic recipe is very simple. This is the ideal dip to serve as a starter with crudities, a few toasted slices of your favourite sourdough, or pitta bread, or even some crunchy crispbreads.

Ingredients:
2 medium aubergines/eggplants
1 tbsp tahini
1 garlic clove
a squeeze of lemon juice
salt and pepper
cumin
sesame seeds
extra virgin olive oil

Step 1 – Place the aubergines in the oven at 180º for 40 minutes until completely roasted.

Step 2 – Once the aubergines are roasted, let them cool down a little and place them in a colander. Slice them into chunks and let them cool off in the colander, so they also lose all the excess water.

Step 3 – Place the aubergines in a hand mixer bowl, add the tahini, garlic, plenty of salt and pepper, a squeeze of lemon juice, and mix together until you have a creamy texture.

Step 4 – Move your cream to a serving dish, and decorate with ground cumin, sesame seeds and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. You can add some finely chopped parsley to serve.

And what is your favourite dip? Have you tried making baba ganoush before?