• 4-5 long, thin eggplants
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon vegan red wine vinegar
• garlic salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons non-dairy yogurt substitute

This is a traditional Turkish recipe.

The procedure is the most important part of making a successful roasted eggplant puree. Follow this exactly. Roast the eggplants until totally dead and charred and black. To do this you can put them directly on the heating element of your stove, on the gas flame, or on the ceramic top of your stove. Putting it in the oven will NOT work unless you are able to actually CHAR the eggplant. Eggplant is one of the few vegetables that will not taste right unless totally cooked and even overcooked. After the eggplant is totally, utterly dead, put it into a bowl of tepid water and let it soak a few minutes while you are charring the next eggplant. Putting it in water lets the charred taste to soak in. You can easily peel off the charred skin of the eggplant while it is in the water. After peeling and cutting off the stem, dice the eggplant and then mash it with a fork. Add to bowl, along with olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic salt and yogurt substitute. Mix well. Adjust lemon juice and vinegar amounts to taste.

Best served room temperature with a good vegan bread.

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 45 minutes