Babaganoush(My Doctored Version)

* Exported from MasterCook *

BABAGANOUSH (MY DOCTORED VERSION)

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 3 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Ethnic

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 tb Olive oil
2 Onions (chopped)
2 Stalks of celery
-chopped (optional)
1/2 Red sweet pepper chopped,
-for color
1 Eggplant (cubed
-about 3/4 inch)
2 Cloves of garlic,
-chopped or mashed
1/2 ts Ground cumin plus
-1 pinch whole
1/2 ts Ground coriander
1/4 ts Ground pepper
1/4 ts Crushed dried chili pepper
Salt (to taste)
1 tb Tahini *
Juice of 1/2 to 1 lemon
-(to taste) or lime
Handful of parsley or
-cilantro
-and/or scallion ends or
-chives
Black olives,
Parsley sprigs
-and a lemon slice to
-decorate

* Sesame paste. I've heard of substituting peanut
butter, but never tried it.
The variable amounts of ingredients depend on your
taste and on the size of the eggplant. Try it without
celery and red pepper and then you can decide if you
want to use it next time.
Saute onions, (celery & red pepper) till starting to
brown (I do in a wok). Add eggplant and garlic, stir
well, add spices (not the salt), stir again and on
very low fire, saute. May drop some liquid, that's all
right, let it evaporate, and saute slowly until
everything is very tender. Keep checking, it's better
if it browns a little, but needs stirring so it
doesn't burn. If it's too dry, add a few TBs liquid at
a time (I use vegetable broth, liquid from steaming
veggies, or liquid from microwaving mushrooms, etc.
but water would probably do). Add salt, tahini and
lemon juice, pulse a few seconds at a time in food
processor or mash with potato masher -- can be
slightly lumpy, too smooth is pretty awful.ÿAdd green
stuff, pulse once or twice to chop coarsely and
distribute or chop coarsely and stir in.
It's an ugly color, so I try to dress it up with a
lemon slice, greens and black olives, seems to help.
Serve with quarters of pita bread or mini pitas, it's
finger food, a great appetizer with a curry meal



- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -