Ambitious Deliciousness – Dont Eat Lazy.

Ban chan is the proper term for the many little side dishes in Korean cuisine. Namul describes seasoned vegetables. You can make namul out of any vegetable, though eggplant is technically a fruit. In any case, this quick dish will add some diversity to your everyday dinner table with little effort. For eggplant lovers, this is a must try dish!

To make Gaji Namul, you’ll need Japanese eggplant, which are long and thin in shape, whereas the Italian kind tends to be more round. The calyx (stem) of the Japanese eggplant is purple, just like its skin, where as the calyx of the Italian variety is green. The Japanese kind is best for this dish, since the skin is a bit thinner and therefore, easier to eat when steamed.

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On that historical Tuesday last week, aka Election Day, my cousin J, my sister and I went to Avli, a cute Greek restaurant in Bayside, Queens.

My sister, who had been there before, recommended ordering the eggplant dip, which was described on the menu as “roasted eggplant dip with olive oil and garlic.” For $5, it was a pretty good deal! It also came with warm pita slices. Delicious!! (I didn’t take a photo of theirs.. but here’s my version below.)

That was my inspiration for this replica recipe. I figured, how hard could it be to make?

It looks ok. But how did it taste? Read below to find out.

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