Roasted eggplant dip (Kyopoolu)

One of the main characteristics of the cuisine of the Balkans is the wide variety of salads. Countries in the region have hot and sunny climate and vegetables grow full of taste. But this is only one of the reasons for the huge consumption of salads here. The heart of the matter is that we start lunch and dinner with hard alcoholic drinks. Rakia in Bulgaria, raki in Turkey, ouzo and tsipouro in Greece are national drinks served at the beginning of the meal. These strong drinks go well with salad. Kyopoolu - a roasted eggplant dip, is one of the most popular Bulgarian summer salads, although it has a Turkish origin. The typical smoky taste of its roasted skin, the soft inside which absorbs a lot of olive oil and salt, the freshness of grated tomatoes and roasted peppers, the garlic as an ingredient make this dip irresistable.

Ingredients:

• 3 medium eggplants
• 3 green or red peppers
• 5 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 Tbsp vinegar
• 1 ripe tomato, grated finely
• salt to taste

Preparation:

Roast eggplants on top of the stove until their skins get black and crusty. Turn them to all sides to obtain uniform roasting. The outer skin will char during this process, but the inside of the eggplants will get soft. Grill peppers turning them occasionaly in order not to burn them. Cool vegetables at room temperature for half an hour and then peel the charred skin.

Drain juice from the eggplants and chop them finely with a sharp knife. Do not use a blender because you will loose the coarse texture and you will puree the seeds turning everything into a paste.

Puree garlic in a mortar with the salt and add to the eggplant puree. Chop the peeled peppers finely and add to the mixture. Grate the ripe tomato and add to the dip. Season with salt, olive oil and vinegar to taste and serve at room temperature as an appetizer.