Description
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 (toasted sesame seed paste). In Romania, this “salad” is so popular that it is often eaten on bread for breakfast or lunch, or served as an appetizer on its own.
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 oven to 375ºF.
Pierce eggplant several times, which will allow steam to escape while eggplant cooks. Place eggplant on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 45 minutes, turning eggplant over a few times as it bakes.
When eggplant is soft and fully cooked (skin should be slightly blackened), remove from oven and place in a colander to cool. Once cooled, remove the skin.
Place eggplant flesh in a dish towel and squeeze out excess liquid. Transfer to a food processor. Season with salt and pepper. Add lemon juice, garlic and green onion (reserving some to use as a garnish). Begin to process and slowly add oil. Blend until dip reaches desired consistency. Traditional dips are chunky.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
