Moorish Badenjan Dip

It's funny how our tastebuds change as we age.  Not too long ago, eggplant was on my shortlist of foods I didn't like, now it seems I can't get enough of it. One day I looked at the plate of baba ganoush my friend had ordered and it just clicked, "I'm going to like eggplant now!" The same thing happened with onions, black licorice, and avocados. One minute I hated it, the next I suddenly can't get enough of it. There's no gray area either, I don't ease these new 'likes' into my diet, I go whole hog. The first time I ate raw onions I didn't just squirrel them into a salad, no, I made an onion sandwich! Crazy, I know.

Now that eggplant is on my radar I find that I'm consistently searching for new, unique ways to prepare and satiate my addiction. I recently discovered this delicious Moorish dish, Badenjan - a creamy smokey dip with deep notes of saffron balanced by fresh mint - and in two weeks I've made it twice. Both times I've prepared it as a condiment of sorts to our main dish. The first time, to accompany aromatic lamb meatballs (filled with garlic, onions and mint), the second time an addition to a Moroccan-style grilled chicken.  This is some serious eggplant goodness.

Click below for the recipe: