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Roasted pepper and aubergine dip

When I make a roast dinner or lunch, to make the best use of my oven I always try to use the lower shelf to roast vegetables for other meals. It’s so easy to do, some vegetables don’t even need to be peeled or seasoned - such as garlic, onion, aubergine etc -  just put them on a lightly oiled tray and off it goes into the oven. This roasted pepper and aubergine dip is the result of one of these efficient-oven-use sessions! Afterwards just add some herbs and spices,  et voilà! you've got a very tasty dip which could also be used as a sandwich spread.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Resting Time 4 hours
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Cuisine: Mid&East European
Calories: 1234
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 medium aubergine
  • 2 red bell peppers
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 4 cloves of garlic unpeeled
  • ½ tsp cumin powder
  • 1 handful parsley or coriander leaves
  • Freshly squeezed lemon
  • Salt and pepper

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 190°C.
  2. Put the aubergine, whole, into a baking dish. Put it in the oven and bake for 35-45 minutes, until it has softened and the skin look wrinkled.
  3. Meanwhile deseed the bell pepper and cut them half. Place these on another baking tray add the garlic, then drizzle with the olive oil. Put it in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, turning once, until the skin is dark, the pepper flesh is soft.
  4. Remove the roasted vegetables and transfer the pepper to a bowl (including a cooking juices) and cover with a plate. Let it sweat.
  5. Put the aubergine onto a plate, let it cool, then open the skin and scoop out the flesh into a small food processor.
  6. When the peppers are cool remove and discard their skin. Add the flesh to the food processor. Pop the garlic flesh out of its skin, add this to the food processor.
  7. Add the cumin, your chosen fresh herb and the pepper's cooking juice. Blend until you get a textured cream. Add a few squeezes of lemon, season with salt and pepper and chill until you’re ready to serve.