Photo: Middle Eastern Fire-Roasted Eggplant Dip: Babaganoush Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 large eggplants
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 2/3 cup tahini (sesame seed paste, available in the international aisle at the supermarket)
- 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Pita chips, for dipping
Directions
There are 2 ways to cook the eggplants. The first way, on the stovetop, is my favorite because it yields a much smokier-flavored babaganoush.
For the stovetop method: Turn 2 burners up full-throttle. Place 1 eggplant on each burner and, using a pair of tongs, turn every 5 minutes or so, until the entire surface of eggplant is charred and crispy, about 15 minutes. Don't worry if the eggplant deflates a little. Remove from the burner and place on a plate to cool.
For the oven method: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Prick the eggplants all over with a fork (this keeps the eggplant from exploding in the oven, so don't skip this step). Place on a baking sheet and roast until softened, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
Regardless of the cooking method you choose, once the eggplant is cool enough to touch with your hands, carefully peel the charred skin off the eggplant. Discard the skin. Move the flesh onto your chopping board, slice off the stem and discard. Using your knife, mince the flesh until almost smooth. Scoop into a bowl.
Add the lemon juice, tahini, parsley, and a little salt and pepper. Whisk together and taste for seasoning. Feel free to add more lemon juice, more salt and pepper... it will vary depending on the size of your eggplant, and how you like your 'ganoush! Serve with pita chips
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By rsalciec
on May 15, 2013
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Did not like the tahini, it made it very bitter. Not edible!! Yuck!
By curran_13_12271833
Island Lake, 52
on August 09, 2012
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Easy to make and since I just sat here with a bag of pita chips and ate pretty much the whole dish, I would say very good tasting. I cooked three small to medium eggplants in the oven after stabbing them with a paring knife. I'm not overly fund of tahini so I only added about a tablespoon of it. I did add 2 cloves of garlic to up the flavor and I will add more next time. Yummy dish.
By AyahDawood
on January 05, 2012
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For me it was naked without garlic, and I wouldn't ever advise eating tahina from a can. If you can get the tahina in a glass or plastic jar from your Indian or Middle Eastern grocer, get it - it is far superior in taste. As for the texture, Baba Ghanouj should be smooth like hummus, so running all your ingredients through a processor is a must. On every Levantine dinner table is a plate of hummus and a plate of baba ghanouj, they look identical in texture, the only difference is color and a few eggplant seeds. I also thought this came out too watery. One thing Arabs always do with eggplants is extract most of the water from eggplants before using them in various dishes so the eggplant is not chewy, mushy, or watery. To get the proper, darker color in your dip, you must poke holes in the eggplants with your knife and roast or grill them for longer which will make the water go out and make the eggplant become darker/drier.
Read all 21 reviews