Day Four, Dish Four: Mutabal o Kmaj

Ingredients :

• 2 large eggplants
• 2 tbs of lemon juice
• 4 tbs of tahini
• 2 garlic clove
• Bit of salt
• 4 tbs of olive oil
• ½ tsp of coriander 
• ½ tsp of cumin
• ½ tsp of chilly flakes ( optional)

1. Char the eggplant on your stove top, hold it into the flame and turn it around until the skin chars.
2. Have your oven heated at 280 degrees. 
3. Place the aubergines and the whole garlic for around 15 minutes.
4. Remove from the oven, for the aubergines peel the skin with a knife. Squeeze out the garlic. 
5. Mix the fresh creamy garlic, the tahini, half of the olive oil and the lemon juice and all the spices in a bowl. 
6. Mash them together with a fork. Once they are well blended to the consistency you want, add the salt. 

For the kmaj bread

• 1 large tbs of yeast
• 4 cups of flour 
• 1 tsp of salt
• ½ tsp of sugar
• ½ cup of olive oil
• 1 ½ cup of warm water

1. Mix the yeast with the water and the sugar. Leave for around 10-15 minutes.
2. In a large bowl place the flour, the yeast mixture and half the olive oil. 
3. Knead well until well integrated. 
4. Add gradually the slat, the rest of the olive oil and knead it for 15-20 minutes.
5. Cover with a cloth and leave for an hour in a warm room or in kitchen.
6. An hour later the dough has risen to double the initial size.
7. Cut the dough into 8 similar sized balls. Cover them for 20 minutes.
8. Pre heat your oven to 240 degrees with your baking tray in. 
9. Roll your piece of bread with rolling pin to a 1 cm thickness.
10. Take out the hot baking sheet, place the dough and sprinkle a few droplets of water with the tip of your fingers.
11. Bake for 6 minutes. for light golden coloured kmaj, 7-8 minutes for a fluffy inside and a crispy outside.