If you’ve never had Baba Ganoush before you must try it. This smoky, delicious and creamy Middle Eastern eggplant dip will surely become your favorite!

Are you one of those who thinks that eggplants are bitter mushy vegetables, that were the worst nightmare and a bane of your childhood? And surely you didn’t know that they can be smoky, savory and creamy at the same time and extraordinarily easy to cook?

That’s absolutely true for a delicious smoky aubergine dip called baba ganoush. It is considered a traditional Levantine dish made of eggplant, olive oil, tahini and different spice and seasonings. It is popular in Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Egypt, Iraq and some other countries. The Arabic word baba means father and ganoush is usually interpreted as a personal name.

Though traditional way of cooking baba ghanoush is over an open flame, it can be also grilled, broiled or cooked in the oven. The key thing is not to peel it before cooking, otherwise, it won’t have its smoky taste and creamy texture. The dish is a typical starter, often eaten as a dip with Maneesh – Middle-Eastern flatbread or pita bread. Sometimes they add it to other dishes.

Baba Ganoush is really great and delicious and super easy to cook. You roast eggplant, scrape out the flesh and then mix it with olive oil, tahini, garlic and some other spices to your taste. As soon as you try and cook it, this Mediterranean dish will be one of your favorite. But, as usually, devil’s in details, so consider the following tips.

TIPS FOR CREAMY BABA GANOUSH

Eggplants are the key ingredients, the taste of your dip will absolutely depend on the choice you make. Most people will usually choose big ones, but smaller Italian eggplants have more intense flavor and fewer seeds. Plus, the smaller they are the quicker they cook. Secondly, you surely want eggplants to have a smoky flavor, that’s the key thing about the whole dish! So the best option is to cook them on an open fire. Outdoor grill seems to be perfect, but if you don’t have such an opportunity, an open gas burner, oven or a broiler works well. Make sure they are properly cooked and tender, check it by poking with a toothpick or knife.

Another tricky thing about baba ghanoush. It has to be creamy and tender. How to achieve that? Simply, when mixing all the ingredients, slowly introduce the oil. Drizzle it in slowly, whisking the whole time. The result is a light, creamy and intensely flavored mixture. Enjoy!

BABA GANOUSH RECIPE

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BABA GHANOUSH RECIPE

Serves 4-6

Author: Chefjar

Ingredients

Large aubergines- 2
Greek yogurt-4 tbsp.
Tahini- 2 tbsp.
Garlic clove minced-1
Juice of 1 lemon
Green chili finely chopped
Olive oil for drizzling- as needed
Salt- ½ tsp
Pomegranate seeds - 2 tbsp.

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 220 C/ 425 F/ Gas 9. Pierce each aubergine with a fork to vent. Drizzle them with olive oil and either cook in the oven until they are charred ( about 30-45 minutes) or hold them over a gas flame until you see the skin blisters and blackens all over. To get the smoky flavor, you need to scorch the aubergines from the outside.
Once the aubergines are cooked and browned, peel the skin, scoop out the the roasted pulpy flesh and chop it into small pieces. Mash it with a fork.
Put them into a sieve to drain the excess water.
Transfer the drained aubergines to a large bowl, add the tahini, yogurt, lemon juice, garlic and salt. Mix well together and adjust salt and yogurt to your liking.
Add in the chopped green chili and mix through.
Drizzle with olive oil and top with pomegranate seeds before serving.

Course: Dips

Cuisine: Middle Eastern

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