Start this recipe the night before you serve it if you are straining the yogurt. To convert one cup of regular yogurt to 1/2 cup of thick Greek-style yogurt, set a strainer over a bowl and line it with a clean, lint-free dish towel or a coffee filter and pour in one cup of yogurt. Put the bowl in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, discard the liquid and scrape the thickened yogurt into a bowl. Serve this dip with bread or raw vegetables, or as part of a Middle Eastern spread with Cucumber Yogurt (page 184), Cucumber and Pomegranate Salad (page 85), and Chickpea Cakes (page 39).

　　

Ingredients

makes approximately 2 cups

　　1 medium-size globe eggplant

　　1 clove garlic, minced

　　2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

　　1/2 cup Greek-style yogurt, or 1 cup regular yogurt, drained overnight

　　1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil

　　1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

　　Salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　Dash of paprika

　　

Step 1

Turn a gas burner on high and use tongs to place the eggplant directly on the burner. Char the eggplant, turning it once every minute or so, until it is evenly charred, black, and tender, about 6 minutes. Remove from the flame and let cool in a strainer or colander set over a bowl. If you don’t have a gas stove, poke holes in the eggplant with a fork and cook on a greased baking sheet in a 400°F oven until soft, 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool.

　　

Step 2

Pull off the charred eggplant skin and slice off the stem and discard. If you baked the eggplant, scoop the flesh out with a spoon. Coarsely chop the eggplant flesh.

　　

Step 3

Combine the eggplant, garlic, lemon juice, and yogurt in the bowl of a food processor and purée until smooth. With the machine running, slowly pour in the olive oil. Add the parsley and pulse a few times. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

　　

Step 4

Make this dish at least an hour before serving so the flavors can develop. Taste and season again just before serving. Place the dip in a serving bowl and sprinkle the paprika over the top. The dip lasts for 5 days refrigerated, but will need to be reseasoned with salt after sitting in the refrigerator.

　　Lucid Food