Asian Inspired Charred Eggplant Salad Recipe- Baba Ghanoush Take Off

Did I ever mention before that eggplants are cheap locally, and I'm always trying to find new ways to use them? Oh yea- probably about a million times already...

Are you bored of hearing about eggplant? Probably not as bored as I sometimes get of eggplant. Yes, I do love eggplant, but I get bored of food easily, when I have the same food prepared the same way over and over again. I oppose eating boring food. You should enjoy your food, and being bored of food means your mean is a waste of calories, because you might as well get enjoyment out of the food you eat, but if you're bored of it, that ain't happening...

And eggplant, though I like it, sometimes stares at me and taunts me to make it some way other than my standard two methods that I always fall back on- charred eggplant salad with tahini- also known as baba ghanoush- and eggplant and tomato- ratatouille type. Eggplant and tomato sauce, eggplant and tahini. It gets boring already. With the amount of times eggplant shows up on my menu, due to it being one of the cheapest veggies I can get in the winter (and I often end up getting some free from friends as well), as much as I like those combinations, sometimes I just want something different.
I actually really love eggplant in Asian dishes, but eggplant is this super sponge, and I haven't managed to figure out how to make it without it soaking up a gallon of oil each time... So eggplant stir fry just doesn't end up happening around here.
But I did want that Asian flavor in my eggplant, somehow.
I decided to do a little fusion cooking, and do an Asian style baba ghanoush- charred eggplant, Asian style seasoning...
And oh man- this is amazing, non boring, and perfect! It was exactly what I needed to make my eggplant different and tasty...
I highly recommend it!

Asian Inspired Charred Eggplant Salad Recipe- Baba Ghanoush Take Off

Ingredients:
1 large eggplant
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 tablespoon chopped scallions or onion greens
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt (to taste)
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper flakes (optional)
1 teaspoon mayonnaise (optional- and I'd use homemade flax based mayo)

Instructions:
1. Place your eggplant over your gas burner, until it is burnt. Move it over so that a non burnt part of the skin is over the flame, and char that as well. Keep on moving it until the whole eggplant is charred and completely soft.

2. Remove the charred eggplant skin, leaving behind a smoky, soft, cooked eggplant.

3. Mash up the eggplant with a fork.

4. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

5. Serve cold.

Enjoy!

Are you a fan of eggplant? Do you ever get bored of it? How do you make it when you start to get bored of it? Are your standard eggplant recipes either with tahini or tomato sauce, or do you have some other different style eggplant recipes? 
Are you a fan of fusion cooking?
Does this look like a recipe you'd try?

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