Jewish cuisine, from all points of the compass

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper or 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1. Pierce the skins of the eggplants in a few places with a fork. Place each eggplant directly in a medium-high flame and turn occasionally. The skins of the eggplants should eventually blister and shrivel. Remove the eggplants from the heat once they are thoroughly charred and you can sense that the flesh inside has become heavy with moisture. It may take about 30 minutes to arrive at this point. Let cool.

2. Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise, scoop out their flesh and put in a colander. Discard the peels. Press the eggplant flesh firmly against the colander to remove excess liquid. Mash the eggplants with a fork in a large bowl.

3. Combine the mashed eggplant flesh with the tomato, bell pepper, parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, cumin and salt and pepper. Stir and serve.

Note: The eggplant gets its charred flavor from cooking directly over a fire, although households with electric-only ranges can make do with oven-roasting.

Per serving (based on 6): 82 calories, 3 grams protein, 15 grams carbohydrates, 6 grams sugar, 3 grams fat, no cholesterol, 330 milligrams sodium, 7 grams dietary fiber

Contact staff writer Dianna Marder at 215-854-4211 or dmarder@phillynews.com. Read her recent work at http://go.philly.com/diannamarder.