Baba ganoush is a Middle Eastern dish made from roasted eggplant, seasoned with garlic, lemon juice, and tahini (sesame seed paste). It's served as an appetizer, typically with fresh lavash or pita bread. This type of dish is popular in many countries around the world, and the base is always the same — roasted eggplant (over an open flame, on a grill, on a rack in the oven, or over a gas burner). The eggplant skin should be well charred during cooking; the eggplant is then peeled, finely chopped, and mixed with flavor-adding ingredients like garlic, lemon juice, and salt. From there, variations begin — tahini may be added, giving the dish a distinctly Middle Eastern flavor; yogurt is sometimes used as well. In Israel, a version made with mayonnaise is popular. In Ukraine, roasted eggplant is commonly made with onions and tomatoes, as in the recipe for eggplant caviar. In Arab countries, baba ganoush is also known as mutabbal or moutabel. Add the garlic, lemon juice, and tahini to taste.
Ingredients:
- 1 kg eggplant
- 4 cloves garlic
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp tahini (or 50 g sesame seeds)
- salt
- For serving:
- dried paprika
- olive oil
- fresh lavash or pita
How to cook baba ganoush
Wash the eggplant and place them on an oven rack, piercing each one with a fork (an unpierced eggplant can explode in the oven!). Place in an oven preheated to 230°C, with a baking sheet on the rack below to catch any juices that drip from the eggplant. Roast for approximately 30–40 minutes, or until the skin is visibly charred.
Make the tahini. Place the sesame seeds in a food processor and add 2–3 tbsp of vegetable oil or water. In my experience, the sesame seeds were difficult to grind with oil added, but blended much more easily with water. The smoother the mixture, the better.
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