Name: Smoky eggplant and walnut dip
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 - 6
Ingredients: 250 gm Greek-style yoghurt; 2 large eggplant; 100 gm walnuts, soaked in cold water for 10 minutes; 2 tsp hulled tahini; 1 garlic clove, crushed; 1 tsp dry-roasted cumin seeds, finely ground with a mortar and pestle; Juice of ½ lemon, or to taste; Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling; Pickled turnips (see note), black and white sesame seeds, sumac, mint, coriander, and grilled flatbread, to serve

Smoky eggplant and walnut dip

It's baba ghanoush, with a little twist.

Over the top shot of a cream-coloured eggplant dip, drizzled generously with olive oil and garnished with bright-pink diced pickled turnips and coriander leaves.

Serves 4 - 6

Prep

20M

Cook

25M

Total

45M

Skip to Recipe

Walnut dip meets baba ghanoush in the best of ways. We’ve topped it with pickled turnips for bite, but extra walnuts for crunch would also go nicely, as would a few herbs and a sprinkling of sumac or paprika. Begin this recipe a day ahead to drain the yoghurt.

Ingredients

250 gm Greek-style yoghurt

2 large eggplant

100 gm walnuts, soaked in cold water for 10 minutes

2 tsp hulled tahini

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 tsp dry-roasted cumin seeds, finely ground with a mortar and pestle

Juice of ½ lemon, or to taste

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Pickled turnips (see note), black and white sesame seeds, sumac, mint, coriander, and grilled flatbread, to serve

Method

1.Spoon yoghurt into a muslin-lined sieve over a bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight to drain.

2.Cook eggplant over an open flame either on a rack on a gas stove or on a barbecue, turning occasionally, until charred and soft (at least 20-25 minutes). Halve lengthways and drain, flesh-side down, in a colander in the sink.

3.Scoop out eggplant flesh and purée in a food processor with drained yoghurt, walnuts, tahini, garlic, cumin and lemon juice and season to taste.

4.Spoon eggplant dip onto a large platter, drizzle with olive oil, top with pickled turnips, sesame seeds, sumac and herbs, and serve with grilled flatbread.