Smoky Spiced Eggplant Dip
Updated Oct. 8, 2024
- Total Time
- 1 hour 10 minutes
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 1 hour
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1medium eggplant (about 1 pound)
- 3tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 2medium shallots, finely chopped
- 4garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1teaspoon ground cumin
- ½teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼teaspoon ground cayenne, plus more to taste
- 1(14-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
- Kosher salt
- ¼cup chopped fresh parsley (optional), plus more for topping
- ½cup whole-milk Greek yogurt
- Crackers or warm bread
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat a dry cast-iron skillet over medium until smoking, about 7 minutes. Place the whole eggplant in the skillet. Let the skin sear, undisturbed, until it turns from shiny purple to a muted dark brown, about 5 minutes. Turn the eggplant using tongs and repeat on another side. Continue searing and turning the eggplant until all the skin is charred and nearly flaking off, about 40 minutes total. The eggplant should feel mushy and soft. Transfer the eggplant to a plate.
- Step 2
When the eggplant is cool enough to handle, peel off the charred skin. Set the peeled, mushy eggplant in a colander in the sink. (Draining the juices will eliminate some of its bitterness.)
- Step 3
While the eggplant chars, in a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium. Add the shallots and sauté until translucent and softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, paprika, cumin, black pepper and cayenne, and cook just until fragrant, 1 minute. Carefully add the tomatoes and their juices, crushing them with your hands as you add them, or using the back of a wooden spoon to break them up in the pan. Stir to combine.
- Step 4
Transfer the drained eggplant to a cutting board, discard stem, and chop finely. Add it to the tomato mixture in the pan along with a hefty pinch of salt. Stir to combine, bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until some of the liquid has reduced, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the parsley (if using), taste and adjust the seasoning. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Step 5
Spread the warm dip in a shallow bowl. Dollop the yogurt on top. Drizzle with olive oil, top with more parsley (if using) and another pinch of cayenne, if you like. Serve with crackers or warm bread.
Private Notes
Comments
Could this rosating of the eggplant be done in an oven on high broil? That’s how I roast eggplant for baingan bharta..
Followed the recipe as is and it is hella good. I'm eating it with Naan. I would like to eat it forever. Thank you
We grill the eggplant on the outdoor gas grill and then put it into a brown paper bag to cool. Skin peels right off. I never made it with tomatoes and these spices, will try it, sounds delicious.
I followed other commenters suggestions and roasted the eggplant directly on the burner of my gas stove. It worked fine and was pretty fast. After steaming in a paper bag afterwards, the skin came right off. However, the dip did not have a smoky flavor. Pretty bland, and I even increased the spices and used smoked paprika. I think following the recipe’s eggplant charring method might work better—never tried it—but I’d probably use a charcoal grill or grate over a fire next time.
Is there a way to do this without a grill or caste iron skillet?
I made this last night for my family and it was delicious! Agree with other commenters that there wasn’t much of a smokey flavor and would recommend using a grill if you have access to one. I ended up adding extra paprika (smoked) and sumac to my dish to heighten the flavor. Would love to experiment with adding more tomatoes or tomato paste next time. To serve, I topped mine with greek yogurt (very necessary), za’atar, and lemon zest. We used potato wedges that I dusted with za’atar for dipping!
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