I love Baba Ganoush and often make this chunky aubergine dip with some griddled pitta as a snack or a side dish. Typically this is made by smoking the aubergines – and if you want that full smokey taste. To create that charred taste as best as possible in my small kitchen I either cook the aubergines under the grill or on a griddle pan. Alternatively you can roast them in small chunks. I blend just one aubergine and then cut the other in small pieces and mash it up a bit to give this dip a bit of a chunky texture.
Ingredients
- 3 tomatoes
- 1 red pepper
- 1 yellow pepper
- 2 tbpsn capers
- Handful of green olives
- Olive oil
- Juice of half a lemon
- 2 aubergines
- 1 tbpsn tomato puree
- Fresh basil
- Black pepper
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 celery sticks
- 1 red onion
- Half a ciabatta
- 1 red chilli
- 1 tbpsn red wine vinegar
Directions
- 1In a large pan heat 1 tbpsn olive oil. Add the garlic and onions with a pinch of salt and cook on a medium heat.
- 2After a few minutes add the aubergines and a large glug of oil. Mix the aubergines well. They will quickly soak up the oil so after a couple of minutes add another glug of olive oil.
- 3Add the peppers and celery to the pan. Leave for a couple of minutes and then add the tomatoes. Stir in the tomato puree, vinegar and lemon juice. Add the capers and olives and turn to the pan up to a medium – high heat. Leave this to simmer gently until the juices have boiled down. You will need to stir the pan regularly.
- 4In the meantime heat up a griddle pan. Once hot add the ciabatta slices and cook on each side for around 3 minutes.
- 5Take the pan off the heat and stir in a handful of fresh basil. Mix well and season with some black pepper and fresh basil.
- 6Serve up with the ciabatta.
