To begin making the Baked Eggplant with Red Lentil Hummus Recipe, the first step is to make the red lentil hummus filling

Ensure the masoor dal is soaked for at least couple of hours

This helps in faster cooking of the red lentil

Pressure cook the soaked masoor dal with 1 cup of water and pressure cook for at least 5 to 6 whistles

Once done, allow the pressure to release naturally

Once the pressure releases, drain out any excess water and keep aside

We can use this water to adjust the consistency of the red lentil hummus later

Cut eggplant lengthwise in half

Scoop out centres flesh of the eggplant, leaving 1/4-inch-thick pulp around the shell

Sprinkle salt and pepper on the eggplant shell and keep it aside in a colander

This will moisten the eggplant and make it sweat a little before it goes into the oven

Let the eggplant rest for about 10 minutes

Chop the eggplant pulp that we removed and keep aside

We will be adding this to the Lentil Hummus mixture

Pre heat the oven to 180 degree Celsius for 10 minutes and keep it ready

Heat oil in a pan over medium heat; add the carrots, sprinkle a little salt

You can sprinkle with some salt and roast the carrots to fasten the cooking process

Keep aside and allow it to cool

In the same pan; heat a little more oil

Add the chopped eggplant pulp, sprinkle salt and roast the eggplant in the pan until soft

Cover the pan to fasten the cooking process of the eggplant

Once done, turn off the heat and allow it to cool

Once done, add the cooked masoor dal, roasted carrots, roasted eggplant, cumin seeds, lemon juice, garlic and salt into a mixer and blend to a coarse mixture

This is now the red lentil hummus

Stir in a tablespoon of olive oil into the red lentil hummus

Give it a taste and adjust the salt and seasonings according to taste

Now the final step is to bake the eggplant

Cut strips of a foil large enough to hold one eggplant half

We will be using the foil to wrap the eggplant

Place the eggplant halves on centre of each of the foils and fill it with the red lentil hummus

Loosely wrap the eggplant with the foil ensuring it is not tight, and there is enough circulation to steam cook the eggplant

Grill the Stuffed Eggplant for about 20 minutes until the eggplant shells are soft

Once done, you can open the foil and optionally sprinkle parmesan cheese and bake it open until the cheese melts just a bit

Once done, remove from the oven and place the baked eggplants on a serving platter

While the eggplant is baking in the oven, we can make the crumble and the garlic yogurt

To make the CrumbleMake a coarse powder of the walnuts and the almonds and keep aside

Heat a skillet, add a tablespoon of butter, add in chopped garlic and saute till they soften

Add in chopped onions, saute well till the onions have caramelised and changed colour to dark brown

Add in ground nuts and keep toasting the nuts for few minutes

Add in red chilli flakes, oregano, and paprika powder sugar and salt to taste

Give it a mix and set aside in a bowl

To Make the Garlic Greek yogurtIn a bowl, add in greek yogurt, chopped garlic, drizzle lemon juice and whisk well till it combines

Refrigerate the Greek Yogurt until you are ready to serve

Spoon the garlic yogurt over the baked eggplant and sprinkle the spicy toasted crumble and garnish with fresh mint leaves on top and serve hot or cold

Serve the Baked Eggplant with Red Lentil Hummus Recipe along with Couscous Raw Mango Salad Recipe and Cantaloupe (Melon) Juice Recipe as an appetizer for parties