Ikra

I tasted Ikra for the first time in LA’s farmers market a few weeks back. I had no idea a dish like that existed only because I have had Lebanese food at a lot of places and I am pretty well aware of their vegetarian selection. The description of the dish at the restaurant said that it was made out of eggplant and it had a very smoky flavor to it, so I guessed that it was a paste of roasted eggplants with some spices and tomatoes- since it was red in color. I tried searching it on Google as soon as I came back and of course I had a problem trying to recollect the name of the dish. But finally it came to me and I got results showing that it’s a dish from Russia and is made out of caviar.

I almost flipped out of my chair thinking that I not only ate fish eggs but enjoyed it as well! But after some more research I found a recipe that sounded more like what I had tasted at the farmers market, and to my happiness it was caviar free. So I took the basic recipe and tailored it to match the taste of the farmers market Ikra. It is very similar to baba ghanoush in texture, so it can be used as a dip with pita etc.

Things you will need:
1 Big eggplant
1 medium red onion (blended into a paste)
4 tbs tomato paste
1 clove garlic crushed
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tbs smoked paprika
4 tbs olive oil
2 tsp sugar
4 tbs water
Salt to taste

In a preheated oven at 400F roast the eggplant for about an hour… (Poke some holes in the eggplant with a fork before putting it in the over, so that it doesn’t explode in there). Once the eggplant is cooked, take it out of the over and put it in a bowl and cover it tightly with a plastic wrap and let it set for approx. 12-15 min. This will help in peeling the skin off of the eggplant. So after 15 min, peel the skin off using your hands- be careful as the eggplant is going to be very hot. Take the peeled flesh of the eggplant and place it in a bowl (large enough to mix and mash). Mash the eggplant with a fork.
Put the onion in a blender and turn it into a smooth paste. In a pan heat olive oil and fry the onion paste till cooked through. It shouldn’t turn brown but make sure that it is cooked properly or else you’ll taste uncooked onion later. Once the onion is done add the cumin powder, salt, sugar and paprika and mix it for 2 min. Add the tomato paste and cook for another 4 min. add water and mix it till it all turns into a smooth sauce like consistency. Add the mashed eggplant to the mixture and mix well. Taste it at this point to adjust the salt as per your taste. Enjoy the smoky dip with warm pita or as a side dish with couscous.