The Middle Eastern cuisine often combines aubergine with tahini (sesame paste). This flavour combo just works. With the right seasonings and toppings you can easily turn it into a top dish. This is simple and pure cuisine at its best!
Cut the aubergines in half lengthwise. Then gently cut diagonally into the flesh of the aubergine to create a diamond pattern, but try not to cut through the skin.
Mix the olive oil with the crushed garlic cloves and the chili flakes. Spread the aubergine halves with the seasoned oil and place them on a baking tray. Finish with ground black pepper and a pinch of salt and bake in the oven at 190°C / 375°F for 50 minutes.
In the mean time, make the tahini dressing: mix the tahini with the lemon juice and maple syrup. You will notice that this mixture will firm up at first. That's because the solid particles in the tahini will absorb the moisture and expand. Add some water, tablespoon by tablespoon, just enough until it turns slightly liquid again.
When the aubergine is golden brown, take it out of the oven. Drizzle with the tahini dressing and finish with optional toppings such as soy yogurt, pomegranate seeds and some arugula, parsley or mint. Enjoy!
4 servings
1/2 aubergine + toppings
* The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.