Simple Baba Ghanoush is a recipe for all. One might think this dish is hard to make. However I promise you it is not. The eggplant holds its own with a delicious smokey flavor. All you need to do is let it roast and then add a couple of ingredients like tahini and lemon to really make it sing.
Baba Ghanoush is a traditional dish that came from Lebanon and is now eaten all over the world. Eggplant aka Aubergine, is mostly known to have a distinct dark purple color. It is part of the nightshade family, and even though they are considered a vegetable they grow from a flower like a fruit. They have tons of beneficial vitamins and minerals like folate and magnesium. It is low in calorie and it’s also super high in fiber.
Tips On Making Simple Baba Ghanoush
Eggplant
After you cut the eggplant in half you want to score it with a knife by cutting lines in it. This makes it much easier to scoop out the flash.
You want to bake it until the skin of the eggplant is dark brown and the flesh is soft and transparent.
The secret to making the best dip is removing as much of the water from the eggplant as possible. Make sure when you remove the inside flesh you put it through a strainer or wring it out in cheese cloth. If there is too much water your dip will be watery and not have the creamy texture you are looking for.
Incorporating
Use a large bowl to add all the ingredients together. You want to whip the eggplant similar to how you would whisk scrambled eggs. Incorporate all the ingredients in one at a time while continually whisking. First the garlic and lemon, next the tahini and last the seasonings and olive oil.
I find whisking everything with a fork gives you the best consistency. Make sure and add the olive oil at the end in an even stream not all at once.
Serve
Serve this with your favorite bread, pita or vegetables. This also goes great on sandwiches and burgers!
This will hold in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Simple Baba Ghanoush
Ingredients
- 2 Medium Eggplants
- 2 Garlic Cloves Minced
- 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
- ¼ Cup Tahini
- 1/4 Cup Extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp Fresh Italian Parsley Chopped
- ½ Tsp Salt
- ¼ Tsp Smoked Paprika
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil to prevent the eggplant from sticking to the pan.
- Halve the eggplants lengthwise, score flesh with parallel and vertical lines. Brush the cut sides lightly with olive oil. Place them on the prepared pan with the halved sides down.
- Roast the eggplant until the flesh is very tender and the skin is wilted, about 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.
- Scoop out the flesh with a large spoon into a mesh strainer over a bowl, discarding the skin.
- With the spoon press out as much excess water as possible from the eggplant.
- Add the garlic and lemon juice to the eggplant and whip it vigorously with a fork until the eggplant breaks down and becomes creamy.
- While continuing to whip, add in the tahini to the bowl. Then slowly drizzle in the olive oil.
- Should be a creamy consistency.
- Stir in the parsley, salt, and smoked paprika.
- Garnish with additional parsley and olive oil.
- Eat with pita, chips, assorted chopped vegetables or crackers!