BABAGANOUSH

BABAGANOUSH (MY DOCTORED VERSION)

2 tablespoons2
2
1/21
2
1/2 teaspoon1/2 teaspoon1/4 teaspoon1/4 teaspoon
1 tablespoon
Olive oil
Onions (chopped)
Stalks of celery -- chopped (optional)
Red sweet pepper chopped -- for colorEggplant (cubed -- about 3/4 inch)
Cloves of garlic -- chopped or mashedGround cumin plus -- 1 pinch wholeGround coriander
Ground pepperCrushed dried chili pepperSalt (to taste)
Tahini *
Juice of 1/2 to 1 lemon -- (to taste) or limeHandful of parsley or -- cilantroscallion ends or -- chives
Black olives
Parsley sprigs -- and a lemon slice to

* Sesame paste. I've heard of substituting peanut butter, but never
tried it.
The variable amounts of ingredients depend on your taste and on the
size of the eggplant. Try it without celery and red pepper and then you
can decide if you want to use it next time.
Saute onions, (celery & red pepper) till starting to brown (I do in a
wok). Add eggplant and garlic, stir well, add spices (not the salt),
stir again and on very low fire, saute. May drop some liquid, that's
all right, let it evaporate, and saute slowly until everything is very
tender. Keep checking, it's better if it browns a little, but needs
stirring so it doesn't burn. If it's too dry, add a few TBs liquid at a
time (I use vegetable broth, liquid from steaming veggies, or liquid
from microwaving mushrooms, etc. but water would probably do). Add
salt, tahini and lemon juice, pulse a few seconds at a time in food
processor or mash with potato masher -- can be slightly lumpy, too
smooth is pretty awful. Add green stuff, pulse once or twice to chop
coarsely and distribute or chop coarsely and stir in.
It's an ugly color, so I try to dress it up with a lemon slice, greens
and black olives, seems to help. Serve with quarters of pita bread or
mini pitas, it's finger food, a great appetizer with a curry meal