Simple & Delicious Baba Ghanoush

Whether you know it as baba ganoush, baba ghanouj, mutabbal, or by another name or spelling – this classic eggplant dip is a staple in Middle Eastern cuisine. If you are unfamiliar with this traditional appetizer, it is essentially hummus made with roasted eggplant instead of chickpeas. Baba Ghanoush is without a doubt one of my favorite dishes because it’s filling, incredibly healthy, and a great accompaniment to grilled meat, vegetables, and pita.

INGREDIENTS

• Eggplant [ 1 Large Vegetable] 
• Tahini [ 1 Tablespoon ]
• Roasted Garlic [ 2 Large Cloves ] // Garlic Powder [1 Teaspoon]
• Lemon [ 1/2 Medium Sized Citrus] 
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil [ A Few Drizzles When Roasting the Eggplant + A Few Drizzles to Garnish ] 
• Cumin [ 1/4 Teaspoon + A Few Sprinkles to Garnish ] 
• Paprika [ A Few Sprinkles]
• Cayenne [ A Few Sprinkles ] *Optional* — Adjust Based on Personal Taste 
• Salt [ A Few Sprinkles ] — Adjust Based on Personal Taste
• Black Pepper [ A Few Fresh Grinds ]

TOOLS

• Cutting Board
• Sharp Knife
• Oven / Toaster Oven
• Food Processor / Blender
• Teaspoon
• Tablespoon
• Silicone Spatula
• Serving Bowl

EXTRAS

• Toasted pita bread or crackers
• Fresh cut veggies or apple slices
• Kebabs or grilled meat

YIELD

This recipe creates about 10 to 12 ounces of dip. Simply double or triple the recipe to create more.

Step One

Have fun! 

Step Two

Prep your eggplant for roasting by first pre-heating your oven to 425° and lining a cookie sheet with foil. Next – rinse your eggplant, cut off the stem, and slice it in half lengthwise. You can deseed the eggplant with a spoon if you’d like, but you really don’t need to. The photo below shows one half deseeded and the other half as is just to provide an example of what it looks like. Lastly, place the eggplant onto your foiled pan, flesh side up. Drizzle each half with olive oil before sprinkling them with salt and fresh ground black pepper.

Step Three

Pop the eggplant into the oven to roast for 40-50 minutes.

Step Four

While the eggplant is cooking, clean two large cloves of garlic.

Place your garlic cloves onto the sheet pan alongside the eggplant at the 35 minute mark.

TIP: If you prefer garlic powder or don’t have any fresh garlic on hand – skip this step.

Step Five

At 40 minutes remove the pan from the oven.

The garlic will have a nice roast on it and should be set aside for later.

Next – check the eggplant! It should be fork tender, crumpled in on itself, and have a beautiful charred color. If the eggplant is not fork tender, place it back into the oven for another 5-10 minutes until ready. Once thoroughly roasted, remove the eggplant from the oven and let cool.

Step Six

Once the eggplant has cooled – scoop out the flesh with a tablespoon, and place it into your food processor. Next – add in the tahini, roasted garlic cloves (or garlic powder), cumin, paprika, salt, the juice of half a lemon, and some cayenne if you like a bit of spice.

Pulse the ingredients until everything has come together into a smooth dip.

Step Seven

Pour the baba ghanoush into a serving bowl with the help of a spatula.

Taste your dip and season with a bit more salt and cayenne if so desired. Stir to mix.

Once the eggplant puree is seasoned to your liking, smooth the baba ghanoush with the back of a tablespoon, garnish with a few drizzles of extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkling of cumin. And feel free to adorn your baba ghanoush with any other spices, nuts, pepper, olives, and/or seeds that you’d like. I, obviously, kept it simple the day I made this dip. Oh no – I just realized that I took this photo before I drizzled the olive oil onto it- so sorry folks. Just envision a nice swirl of EVOO on this delicious bowl of baba ghanoush.

Step Eight

Enjoy your tasty creation!!