Country: Q for Qatar
Dish: Motabel (Smokey Eggplant & Tahini dip) We are going to Qatar today because from the little I know there are no more countries that start with Q :-) Qatar is a sorerign Arab country located in Western Asia. It is world's richest country per capita due to the presence of large natural gas reserves and oil reserves.
Qatari cuisine is very similar to other Middle eastern countries. I picked a eggplant dip recipe from Qatar. It seems like some version of eggplant dip is present in all of the Mediterranean cuisines. Motabel/ Moutabel is almost like Baba ghanoush with smokey roasted eggplant as the main ingredient.
Roasting the eggplant directly on the stove gives the dish a nice smokey flavor. So if you can make sure to roast on the stove (foil wrap the stove to avoid burnt spots or just be ready to use some elbow grease to clean up the mess). If you have an electric stove or do not want to spend the time at the stove turning the eggplant, then bake the eggplant in a preheated 400°F oven for 30~40 minutes or until the skin is shrivelled and the flesh is cooked. Enjoy with some pita chips and crudite.
Recipe adapted from here.
Ingredients:
Eggplant - 1 small
Tahini - 2tbsp
Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 2tspOlive - 1clove, mashed Lemon Juice - 2tsp Green Chili - 1, chopped Salt & Pepper - to taste
Method:
- Roast the eggplant on the stove or in the oven (@ 400°F for 30~40 minutes)
- Put the roasted eggplant in a bowl and cover it. Leave it aside for 10~15 minutes. Then remove the charred skin and chop or mash the flesh.
- In a blender, combine garlic, tahini and chili. Blend to make a coarse paste. Next add the mashed/ chopped eggplant and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Blend until smooth.
- Stir in lemon juice and drizzle from olive oil on top. Serve as dip for veggies and chips, or with pita bread.
Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 44.
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