Babaghannoush is a similar dish to hummus, but, it is made with eggplants instead of chickpeas. Frequently, the eggplant is baked or broiled over an open flame before peeling, so the pulp is soft and has a smoky taste.

Served cold, it is a very good appetizer. It is also served hot with meat dishes, and is then called "hunkar begendi - Sultan's delight" The Hunkar Begendi recipe contains milk instead of yogurt and butter instead of olive oil and usually some kashkaval cheese and flour is added in order to give it a different taste and consistency.



It is very easy to make babaghannoush and here is the recipe:

Ingredients

- 2 eggplants
- 1/4 cup lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
- 4 tablespoon yogurt (you can substitute this with milk if you would like)
- 3 tablespoons of oextra virgin olive oil (you can substitute with butter if you would like)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced and smashed
- salt and pepper to taste
- fresh parsley to garnish (you can also use olives, thinly sliced cucumbers and carrots)

Preparation

Roast eggplants in the oven or over the grill, untill they are soft, turning around occasionally. Remove the skins and mash them. In a pan, sautee with olive oil and garlic for 4 minutes and add the yogurt, lemon juice and salt. Garnish with fresh parsley.

Enjoy!