Smoky Eggplant Dip

As a child, I was never really fond of Eggplant. I guess it's only in the last 10 years that I have realized that Eggplant is a very versatile vegetable. Off all the recipes I have tried, I think I really like the technique of charring the eggplant which brings out an exotic smoky flavor. Over the years I became fond of Baingan Ka Bharta (oops, I should share that recipe soon), an Indian preparation where the Eggplant is charred and then a smash is made from cooking it with onions, tomatoes, garlic and other herbs. It's kind of similar to Baba Ganoush but still very different. This Smoky Eggplant Dip is inspired by the Indian eggplant smash, Baingan Ka Bharta.

The other day, I made this dip by charring the whole eggplant. Trust me the only main step in this recipe is charring the whole eggplant, rest is all easy. To get the best flavors, I charred the outside of the Eggplant on my gas cook top, until the skin was totally burnt and flaky. You could even oven roast the eggplant but to impart the smoky flavor,s it's best charred over a grill or gastop. It is a pretty straight forward dip from there on, just peel the skin, add the eggplant flesh, garlic, cilantro cumin and some yogurt into a food processor or blender and you are done. Blend the ingredients together and your dip is ready, as simple as that. If you want to make the dip vegan you can skip the yogurt but adding the yogurt gives it a perfect consistency.  Honestly, I like the strong smoky flavor of eggplant, but it wouls have been a little too strong for Little A , so mellowing it down for him with yogurt was a good idea.

Now, this dip goes best with GOODTHiNS - The Wheat One -Ancient Grains or GOODTHiNS - The Potato One -Sweet Potato. Have you tried these before? I found them at my local grocery store at Kroger, as I was walking down the cracker aisle. Honestly, when you are walking past the cracker aisle you wouldn't think of real ingredients in that aisle right? However, that isn't the case when you are walking past the produce aisle right? Well, you will be delighted to learn that GOODTHiNS start with real ingredients (like wheat, potato, rice). They are combined with enticing flavors (like garlic, spinach and sweet potato) and baked thin and crispy without any artificial flavors, colors, cholesterol, partially hydrogenated oils or high fructose corn syrup. How good is that eh? Real life snacks, baked with real ingredients. With wholesome goodness baked into every snack, it’s easy to make GOOD THiNS your Go-To Good.

Although I found multiple varieties on the shelf, I was particularly interested in the following

• GOOD THiNS- The Wheat One- Ancient Grains - Made with 100% whole grain wheat &  age-old grains like quinoa, amaranth & millet. These square are baked deliciously thin & crispy.

• GOOD THiNS- The Beet One- Balsamic Vinegar & Sea Salt - If you like a slight tang like me, root for the Beet! These are flavored with balsamic vinegar and sea salt.

• GOOD THiNS- The Potato One- Sweet Potato - Sweet Potato GOOD THiNS are made with real sweet potatoes. Little A loved these when I gave these to him. When he tasted the first one, he was like "Mom, this is sweet, just like you' I was in awe. What is awesome is that these have 60% less fat than the leading regular fried potato chip.

I know I will be stocking up on these in the next couple weeks. They make a perfect after school snack. Kids love them and best of all they are baked with no unnecessary ingredients. Just whip up the dip and serve these perfectly baked GOOD THiNS. If you haven't checked them out already, check them out here. You can also visit their Facebook or Twitter page. The next time you are visiting Kroger (find your local Kroger here)or your local grocery store, walk down the cracker aisle and pick up a box of GOOD THiNS, pair them with our Smoky Eggplant Dip and you won't be disappointed at all.

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Smoky Eggplant Dip

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Ingredients

• 1 eggplant
• 2 tablespoon yogurt
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• 2 garlic pods
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 green chilly (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice (optional)
• salt to taste

Instructions

Wash and pat dry the eggplant.
Char it over a grill or gas cooking range on direct flame, until the skin becomes flaky, burnt and black.
Peel the burnt skin and chop the eggplant into pieces.
Don't throw the juice from the eggplant.
Add the eggplant, juice, yogurt, cilantro & garlic cloves in a blender or food processor. If adding green chillies add them now.
Blend the ingredients together and and scoop the paste into a dipping bowl. Add salt, cumin powder and lemon juice if you like a slight tang. Mix well and your dip is ready to be served.

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