Middle Eastern–Style Eggplant Spread
This dip hits all the marks: sweet, sour, smoky, and spicy. Dunk in veggies or chips, or enjoy the spread in lieu of mayonnaise on your sandwich.
Ingredients
- 2 Asian eggplants
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Kosher salt to taste
- 2 yellow onions chopped
- 4 cloves garlic
- 4 tablespoons tahini
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ cup labneh or whole-milk Greek yogurt
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon ground Aleppo pepper or another hot dried chili, such as cayenne
- ¼ teaspoon ground Urfa chile optional
- 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
- Ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375°F. Halve eggplants lengthwise, place cut side up on a parchment-lined baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until eggplant is lightly browned. Remove from oven, and cool to room temperature.
- While eggplant is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan over low heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add garlic cloves and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Once eggplant is cool enough to handle, scrape flesh into a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the onion-garlic mixture, tahini, lemon juice, and labneh, and pulse 5 to 10 times. Add paprika, Aleppo pepper, Urfa chile, and pomegranate molasses, and pulse until thick and evenly combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
Photo Credit: Igor Dutina | Shutterstock
