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Archive for the ‘Appetizers’ Category

Eggplant Dip

Posted in Appetizers, Vegetarian on January 18, 2013| 2 Comments »


Eggplant

I also got this recipe from Gada Salamah in Montgomery/AL. I had some beautiful eggplants that I had bought from the local farmer’s market and wanted to make a dip. So, here is a beautiful dip.

You will need:

1)  2 small to medium eggplants. Take a small knife and peel the skin lengthwise in such a way that it looks like you have a striped eggplant. Then cut into thick rounds.

2) Oil for frying. I would say about 3/4 to 1  cup. I used Olive Oil.

3) 6 tablespoons of plain yogurt

4) 1 tsp of pomegranate molasses

5) juice of one small lemon

6) 2 tsp of tahini

7) 1/4 tsp of garlic powder

8) Salt to taste

For garnish:

9) 1 – 2 medium tomatoes cubed

10) 1 hot green chilly minced

11) 2 tblsp of finely chopped parsley

12) 1/4 of  cup of walnuts roughly chopped

13) Olive Oil

Let’s start.  First fry the eggplant rounds in the oil until golden brown. Place on paper towel side by side for the oil to be drained from them. Then in a blender place the eggplant and ingredients two eight. Blend and empty onto a nice serving plate. Mix ingredients 9-12 and mix in half with the blended eggplant and use the rest for garnish. Drizzle some olive oil on top and enjoy as an appetizer with pita bread. The pomegranate molasses make a huge difference in taste, so make the effort of getting some. If it’s absolutely impossible then you can do without them, but there will definitely be a difference in taste. Enjoy.

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Chickpeas in Savory Sauce

Posted in Appetizers, Ramadan, Snacks, Vegetarian on July 10, 2012| 10 Comments »


Sister Fatema, my neighbor from Bangladesh, taught me this recipe. Absolutely delicious and especially light for Ramadan with a salad and puffed rice you can make quite a satisfying and healthy meal with it. You will need:

1) 1 can of chick peas

2) 1 medium onion finely chopped

3) 5-6 cloves of garlic finely chopped

4) a tsp of ginger

5) 1/2 tsp of ground chilly powder [more depending on taste]

6) 1/2 tsp of turmeric

7) 1 tsp of ground cumin

8) 1 tsp of ground coriander

9) 1 medium or big potato diced

10) Salt to taste

11) 3 tbslp of oil [I used olive oil]

12) Optional: 1 /4 tsp of concentrated tamarind

13) cilantro for garnish

At medium heat and using a frying pan [with a lid] add the onions and garlic and sautee until the onion is browned. Add the ginger and tamarind [again optional] and all of the spices [you can add about a quarter cup of water to the spices before you put them in]. Or you can add the spices to the mixture and then add water. This is so it does not burn. Now when the water has evaporated and only the oil and spices are left, add the potatoes and salt and add a little more water [1/4 cup] and cover and let cook under low heat. Once the potatoes are almost cooked through, add the chick peas and cover and cook until they brown. Turn off heat, garnish with the cilantro and enjoy.

I recommend that you make a salad on the side [like avocado salad] and serve the chick peas in bowls with puffed  rice sprinkled on top and lemon wedges for extra sourness.

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