Romanian eggplant spread, or Salate de Vinete, is a very simple Romanian dish. It is similar to the Middle Eastern dish Baba Ghanoush but without tahini (roasted sesame seed paste). In Romania, this “salad” is so popular that it is often eaten on bread for breakfast or lunch, or served on its own as an appetizer.
Preparation:
To cook:
Level: Easy
Serves: 8
Ingredients
- 3 Large eggplants
- 2 tablespoons Fresh lemon juice
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 2 Green onions, sliced
- 6 tablespoons Sunflower or other vegetable oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
Prick the eggplant several times, allowing steam to escape while the eggplant cooks. Place eggplant on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 45 minutes, turning the eggplants several times during cooking.
When the eggplant is tender and fully cooked (the skin should be slightly charred), remove it from the oven and place it in a colander to cool. Once cooled, remove the skin.
Place the eggplant flesh in a tea towel and squeeze out the excess liquid. Transfer to a food processor. Season with salt and pepper. Add lemon juice, garlic and green onion (reserve some for garnish). Start processing and slowly add oil. Mix until dip reaches desired consistency. Traditional dips are thick.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
