Eggplant Dip (Jordanian Mouttabal)

Jordanian Mouttabal is a lovely smoky eggplant dip that is excellent with Jordanian Shrak bread. A wonderful starter however it would be just a delicious for any occasion. Eggplant is a low calorie vegetable that when cooked properly is super. This is very similar to baba-ganoush but the eggplant is cooked right on the burner making a excellent smoky flavour to the flesh.

1 medium-sized eggplant
½ cup tahini paste
1 large lemon, freshly juiced
2 cloves garlic, mashed
2 Tbsp. yogurt
sea salt
extra-virgin olive oil, to drizzle

Roast the eggplant on a gas top range or BBQ for about ½ hour, turning frequently.

Allow eggplant to rest for 10-15 minutes, then run it under cold water from a sink and slowly peel using your hands.

Remove the stem and place the flesh into a bowl. Run a knife through the flesh to separate it, add the lemon juice, freshly squeezed, 2-mashed cloves garlic, salt, ½ cup of tahini and 2 Tbsp. yogurt.

Mash the mixture using a spoon or a mortar and pestle and mix well. Spread on a plate and garnish a light drizzle of olive oil.

Serve with shrak, a Jordanian flat bread.

Makes 4 servings.