Eggplant fruits were grilled in a gas oven at 180 °C for 30 min after
making a slit in the fruits to facilitate water evaporation. Grilled fruits
were cooled at roomtemperature and then peeled under aseptic conditions
to make the purée. Eggplant dip was prepared by blending eggplant
purée (84% w/w), tahini (14% w/w), salt (1.2% w/w), and citric
acid (0, 0.4, 0.6 or 0.8% w/w) in a sterilized blender for 3–4min atmedium
speed (6000 rpm) to obtain a paste-like mixture