Moutabel – Mediterranean Spicy Egg Plant Dip

By SweetnSpicyLiving on November 19, 2019 • ( 1 Comment )

Holiday is fast approaching and a simple appetizer dip that is sure to be a hit is this Mediterranean Eggplant Dip or also known ad Babaganoush. Great served with chips, vegetables, bread and egg. Super easy to make, plus it is a budget friendly which is a plus.

I got myself into trouble by making this delicious, spicy hot and healthy eggplant dip. I cannot stop dipping my bread in it! This eggplant dip has a very fresh taste and the right kick of spice that will make you want for more. It’s a fantastic companion for pita bread, fresh veggies , chips and eggs. The good thing about this, it’s very simple and easy to make.

Moutabel is like a hummus dip, but slightly different in some way. This has a stronger fresh taste because of the use of basil and it also has a more creamier taste as compared to hummus. I always like variation and options, so this is a welcome addition to my recipe collection.

Choosing the Right Eggplant.Boy or Girl?

As silly as it sound, and maybe quite a lot of people never paid attention to it, but there’s a boy as a girl eggplant. Am I the only one laughing about this? And what does it got to do with our recipe today? Let’s start with how do we identify a boy from a girl eggplant. To make it easier, I took a photo of both so that you don’t have to imagine what I’m saying. The eggplant in the left is a boy eggplant and the right one is the girl eggplant. Did you noticed the difference? The girl eggplant have a line at the bottom, while the boy eggplant have a dimple at the bottom, easy enough to remember? So what is the difference? The girl eggplant have more seed inside, while the male is the opposite. When making dips out of eggplant, it is better to get the boy eggplant which have lesser seed in it. Less seed, means smoother texture. It’s a small simple thing to remember but it does make a difference in texture of this dip, and when it comes to dip,texture matters. Ok, that’s our eggplant lesson for today, I hope you find it interesting and educational, aside from being funny and ridiculous. A boy and a girl eggplant (smiling now). Let us make this dip now, let’s get started!

Ingredients:

2 medium size long Eggplant ( or 1 large oblong size eggplant)
2 tablespoon Lemon Juice
1/2 teaspoon Salt
2 cloves of Roasted Garlic
4 tablespoon Tahini (Sesame Paste)
1 medium size red Chile Peppers
2 tablespoon Olive Oil
5 fresh Basil Leaves
Kalamata Olives – optional

Instructions:

Prepare the Eggplant: Wash and brush egg-plant with oil.
Grill the eggplant until the skin is wrinkled and the inside is verysoft.
- Alternatively, You can also bake it in 350F for 1 1/2 hr. Flip the to cook the other side halfway through baking time. Baking time depends on the size of the eggplant, adjust as needed.

Puree the eggplant & spices: Remove eggplant skin and transfer the eggplant meat in the food processor. Add roasted garlic, basil, red chile peppers, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and tahini. Process until mixture is smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.

If you do not have roasted garlic, you can wrap the garlic in foil and grill/bake it along with the eggplant

Serve: Transfer in serving dish and drizzle with remaining olive oil. Garnish with basil leaves and kalamata olives.

Makes 1 cup

Recipe Note:

You can adjust the consistency of the dip by either adding or reducing Tahini or olive oil. Play around what works for you, the same for the spices. Add more chili if you like it really spicy, or decrease if you want it mild.

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Enjoy! If you make this, share and tag me in Instagram #SweetNSpicyLiving. I would like to see your creations too.

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