Aubergine, tomato, and tahini dip

This dish is great as part of a mezze meal. It is delicious scooped up with pieces of warm pita bread and served with soft boiled eggs for a more substantial meal. 

The dish consists of three parts: skinned burnt aubergines added to a simple tomato sauce; a swirl of tahini dressing and a crunchy topping of sizzled garlic, pine nuts and spices.  

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 aubergines, grilled, or placed over a naked gas flame to scorch the skin

Crunchy topping
3 tbsp olive oil 
4  large garlic cloves thinly sliced
15g pine nuts
11/2 tsp cumin seeds, roughly crushed 
11/2 tsp coriander seeds roughly crushed

Tahini dressing
3 tbsp tahini
2-4 tbsp OatDrink
1 tbsp lemon juice
 
Tomato sauce
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tin (400g) chopped tomatoes

Chopped fresh coriander or dill to serve (optional). 

Method

Place the aubergine under a hot grill or over a naked gas flame to scorch the skin. When the aubergine flesh is soft and the skin scorched set aside. Peel off the skin and roughly chop the flesh when cool enough to handle. 

To make the tomato sauce.
Swirl a little olive oil into a saucepan, add the onion and cook for a few minutes until the onion is soft. Add the crushed garlic and cook for a minute more and then add the chopped tomatoes and season well. Simmer the tomato sauce for about 15 minutes until it is thick and rich. Add the peeled and chopped aubergine and continue to cook gently. Add a little more water if the sauce gets too dry.

To make the crunchy topping.
Heat the oil in a small frying pan, add the sliced garlic and the pine nuts and cook for about a minute or until just beginning to brown. Add the spices and a tiny pinch of salt and immediately remove from the heat. Set aside.

To make the tahini dressing.
In a small bowl, whisk the tahini with 2- 4 tablespoons of OatDrink and a tiny pinch of salt until smooth and pourable. Add lemon juice and seasoning to taste. 

To assemble the dish.
Place the tomato and aubergine sauce in a shallow serving bowl. Drizzle with the tahini dressing, then spoon over the fried garlic and pine nut mixture. Top with chopped corriander or dill leaves if using.