Eggplant & Walnut Dip

SERVES 4-6 // PREP TIME 20 MINS // COOK 25 MINS (PLUS DRAINING)

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.

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 (see cook’s notes, p192), 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 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.

Note Pickled turnips are available from Middle Eastern grocers. Beer suggestion Turkish lager.