Ingredients:

3 large eggplants
EVOO
Salt
1 large brown onion, finely diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Turmeric
1/2 cup vegetable stock
1/4 cup Greek Yoghurt
1 tablespoon bloomed saffron (1/4 teaspoon crushed saffron threads)
1 tablespoon Dried mint leaves, plus extra for garnish (optional)
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Walnuts, roughly crushed

Method:

• Pre heat oven to 200C fan forced. To bloom saffron, crush saffron threads and place on top of two ice cubes in a small bowl. Set aside and allow ice to melt.
• Cut eggplants lengthways and slice flesh into diamond angles, sprinkle a good pinch of salt over flesh and allow eggplant to stand for 15minutes. Wipe any sweat off the eggplant with a paper towel and drizzle EVOO over the eggplant pieces. Place eggplants flesh side down on a lined baking tray and bake for 35-45minutes or until eggplant is soft and cooked. Allow to cool slightly.
• Place a deep pan on medium low heat with 3 tablespoons of EVOO. Sauté onion until soft and translucent. Stir in garlic and mint and cook for a minute until fragrant. Stir in turmeric and eggplant flesh followed by 1 tablespoon of the bloomed saffron liquid followed by stock. Turn heat to low and place lid on, simmer for 5-10 minutes.
• Season with salt and pepper, you can fold in yoghurt to the eggplant mix or you can transfer to a platter and drizzle yoghurt on top (which I prefer). Top with a sprinkle of dried mint, touch more of that saffron liquid, and crushed walnuts.

Tips/Substitutions:

• Bloomed saffron keeps well in a jar in the fridge for 5 days.
• Extra garnishes such as fresh herbs like parsley, mint, coriander, or spring onions also tastes amazing.
• One tablespoon of tomato paste also tastes amazing to this dish, if you wish to incorporate add in at the same time as the garlic and dried mint.
• This dip can be eaten with bread such as Afhgani, Turkish, Lebanese, or even sourdough.
• Kofta, Persian dill rice and pickled chilli’s are my preferred dishes to serve this dip with.

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