Saffron does it all: helps digestion, improves your mood, delivers tons of necessary nutrients, and makes any dish a little prettier. Here, we use it to spice up an eggplant-Greek yogurt dip that is just as good-tasting as it is good for you.
Charred Eggplant & Saffron Dip
Prep Time
Cook Time
Total
Servings
Ingredients
- 2 large eggplants, sliced in half
- 1 large yellow onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 Tbsp. cumin
- ½ cup fat free Greek yogurt
- ½ lemon, juiced
- ¼ tsp. saffron, crushed, soaked in ½ tsp. water
- To Serve: Naan or Crudite for dipping
Let's go
- Preheat oven to 400° F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray. Cut the eggplant lengthwise and place skin side up on the baking sheet. Cut slits or poke with a fork all over the skin and bake for 1 hr, until charred.
- Meanwhile, in a small sauté pan, heat a tsp. of olive oil. Cut onion into ½-inch cubes, saute until translucent. Add in the cumin and garlic. Take off heat and put 2 tablespoons of onion mixture into a small bowl. Put the remaining onion mixture in a food processor, add in the yogurt, lemon, and wait until the eggplant mixture is finished.
- Add the saffron and water mixture to the small bowl containing the 2 tablespoons of onion.
- Once eggplant is done, take out of oven and scrape out the flesh. Don’t worry if it begins to fall apart, you just don’t want the skin. Discard the skin and add flesh into the food processor. Blend until smooth. Add in more lemon juice if it looks dry. Taste and adjust with seasoning.
- Serve dip in a bowl, topped with the onion and saffron mixture. Serve with Naan, crackers, or crudite.
* Keep the dip covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days before serving. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.