Here is an eggplant paste recipe how my grandma used to do it: all full of vegetable goodness, and I love its taste (still a bit hard to get it taste exactly the way how grandma’s is but I am working on it).
Baked eggplant paste makes a perfect side dish for meat or vegetable entrees, as well as it can be a great appetizer – just pour a bit on a whole wheat cracker, or spread it over a piece of bread and get a healthy snack.
Prepared eggplant paste can be stored in a fridge for several days and it tastes good cooled.
PS: I’ve learned that this recipe is somewhat similar to recipe of Baba Ghanoush (Baba Ganouj) which is popular eggplant dish of Middle East (in Levantine cuisine); wondering where my grandma learned it from…
Ingredients:
2 big or 3 medium eggplants (aubergines)
1 tomato or 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
1 medium onion
1 tablespoon of white vinegar
Olive oil
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
How to prepare, step-by-step:
Prepare ingredients and preheat oven till 350F. Put whole uncut eggplants into baking pan, if you decide to use fresh tomato instead of tomato paste put it into the smaller pan and put both pans to the oven. Baking of eggplants may take up to 3 hours, so it can be good idea to start whole process in advance:
Eggplant Paste (Aubergine Paste) Recipe: Step 1
In about 1 hour (or when tomato gets soft when pierce with a wooden skewer) get the pan with tomato out of the oven and let it cool a bit:
Eggplant Paste (Aubergine Paste) Recipe: Step 2
Peel the skin from tomato, cut it halves, remove stem part and chop the tomato in the blender on high speed for a minute:
Eggplant Paste (Aubergine Paste) Recipe: Step 3
If you use tomato paste then dilute with a cup of water instead.
Mix a tablespoon of vinegar in:
Eggplant Paste (Aubergine Paste) Recipe: Step 4
As I already said it may take up to 3 hours to bake eggplants till needed softness (depends how big and how fresh they are), so pierce them from time to time with a wooden skewer and make sure they are soft equally from each end before you get them out of the oven and let them cool a bit:
Eggplant Paste (Aubergine Paste) Recipe: Step 5
Carefully pick an eggplant, put it under running cold water so it gets cooled a bit and carefully peel its skin:
Eggplant Paste (Aubergine Paste) Recipe: Step 6
Repeat the procedure with other eggplants and let them rest for about 15 mins:
Eggplant Paste (Aubergine Paste) Recipe: Step 7
Warm about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the frying pan over moderate heat. Peel onion, slice it in quarter-circles and fry with stirring until softened (10-15 mins):
Eggplant Paste (Aubergine Paste) Recipe: Step 8
Drain juice from eggplants, remove their stems and chop them finely with a knife:
Eggplant Paste (Aubergine Paste) Recipe: Step 9
Add chopped eggplants to the frying pan with fried onion:
Eggplant Paste (Aubergine Paste) Recipe: Step 10
Mix everything, add a pinch of salt and season with ground black pepper:
Eggplant Paste (Aubergine Paste) Recipe: Step 11
Add tomato and vinegar mix, stir everything, reduce heat to low and continue cooking for 15-20 mins with stirring from time to time:
Eggplant Paste (Aubergine Paste) Recipe: Step 12
Pour eggplant paste into the bowl and let it cool till room temperature, then it is ready to be served:
Eggplant Paste (Aubergine Paste) Recipe: Step 13
Eggplant paste is a perfect side dish:
Eggplant Paste Side
Or you can simply spread it over a piece of bread for a healthy vegetable snack:
Eggplant Paste Snack
Or serve it on crackers as and appetizer:
Eggplant Paste Appetizer
I've just learned what this recipe is somewhat similar to recipe of Baba Ghanoush (Baba Ganouj) which is popular eggplant dish of Middle East (in Levantine cuisine). Wondering where my grandma learned it from :)
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I've just learned what this recipe is somewhat similar to recipe of Baba Ghanoush (Baba Ganouj) which is popular eggplant dish of Middle East (in Levantine cuisine). Wondering where my grandma learned it from :)