There are not many ingredients that intimidate me, but eggplant would have to be one of them. Which is strange really – as I love to eat eggplant. I think it is just one of those ingredients that if not done properly – can be quite terrible. But when an eggplant arrived in my weekly vegetable box, well I knew I had to bite the bullet and create something at home. And, given that Turkish is one of my favourite cuisines, well I was drawn to creating a smoky eggplant dip that I could serve alongside some lamb I intended to roast. To start, I roasted the eggplant until the skin was wrinkly and the flesh was soft. Truthfully, I think I should have roasted it a bit longer (at least until the skin was more charred) to really get the smoky flavour happening. But I digress. I peeled the roasted eggplant, and placed it in a food processor with natural yoghurt, tahini, lemon juice, garlic powder and cumin. Then let the processor do its thing! The result? Creamy, smoky eggplant dip – with a hint of spice from the cumin and a little sharpness from the lemon juice. As I mentioned earlier, we served this dip alongside garlic lamb, broccoli and some pieces of toasted Turkish bread. But I think the dip would also make a nice addition to a party table – served with vegetable crudités or pita bread. Just remember to roast the eggplant as nicely as you can – so that you capture that lovely smokiness! Eggplant Dip

• 1 large eggplant
• 1 tbs lemon juice
• 1 tbs tahini
• 1-2tbs natural yoghurt
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Place eggplant on tray, and prick it all over with a fork. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes or until eggplant is soft and charred. Set aside to cool for 15 minutes.
2. Peel the eggplant, and place the flesh into a food processor with the remaining ingredients. Process until desired consistency.
3. Season to taste.