Eggplant Dip

Second to last recipe before the site update - are you excited? ;P

You should be! I've been working on a logo, banner and watermark. :) It should be updated within the next two weeks (tops!). I just have a few last things to finish, (like the tons of info that needs updating on here).

Anyway, (getting a little side tracked here...) I present to you, for your snacking needs; Eggplant Dip. 

Woo!

My housemate and I were wondering how eggplant got it's name, and after some research we came up with this:

1. The original eggplant looked more like a goose-egg and was a yellowish colour 

2. The eggplant is actually the fruit of a plant called eggplant

I'm not sure which one is correct, although it's more likely they are both correct, at least partly, but I did find out that the origin was China. :)

Eggplant Dip

Ingredients 

• 4 medium sized eggplants
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 red onion
• 3 garlic cloves
• 3 tablespoons of oil (rice bran, vegetable, canola etc.) + a little extra for coating
• 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon of cumin powder
• 1/4 teaspoon of chili powder
• 2 teaspoons of sweet chili sauce
• 2 teaspoons of salt or vegetable stock
• a handful of parsley 

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 50 minutes 

Preheat oven to 180C (350F), then line a baking tray with baking paper. Place the four eggplant onto the tray, sprinkle a little oil and vegetable stock on them, rub them until mixture spreads all over, then place them in the oven for 40 minutes. (You can check at the 20 minute part to turn them).

After the egg plant have been in the oven for 20 minutes:

In a medium-large pan, on a medium heat, put the 1 tablespoon of oil, sliced onion and garlic, then cook for 2-3 minutes.

Next, add the spices to the pan and cook for a further 3-5 minutes until the mixture is fragrant. 

Add the roughly chopped tomatoes, and sweet chili sauce to pan, and cook until the tomatoes begin to get soft. (5-10 minutes) 

It should be about time to take out the eggplant from the oven. They should be mostly soft and mushy (it's okay if they're not completely for they will cook a little longer in the pan)

Roughly tear the eggplant into large chunks, then add it to the pan with the rest of the ingredients. Allow to cook for a further 5-10 minutes so that it combines.

Let it cool for 10-15 minutes, then put it into a blender and blend until it's a thick, smooth, creamy paste. 

You can have this dip with just about anything. ;)

I like mine with wedges! ^^

Hope you liked this one. See you in my next update, which will be the last one before the site upgrade!!! :O

xo.

Moonlight