Baba Ganoush

Baba Ganoush – made with smokey eggplant, garlic, tahini, olive oil and lemon juice. Make this easy eggplant recipe as a side dish or dip.

Baba Ganoush is a staple Lebanese side dish. It is part of a traditional cold mezze spread and a popular appetizer on many Lebanese and Levantine restaurants’ menus.

The grilled eggplants combined with garlic, and Tahini Sauce make a perfect and flavorsome dish that can be eaten on its own or as a side to many meat dishes.

I prepare Baba Ganoush often for my family whenever and we like to eat it with pita bread or have it as a dip with tortilla chips.

You can bake your eggplants in the oven until they get a golden crust with some char marks. Nonetheless, you can grill the eggplant as a whole on a grill to char from outside and become soft from inside.

The original recipe calls for the eggplant to be charred on direct fire and mashed in a mortar by hand. Nevertheless, this method does not render the eggplant as smooth as a food processor does since you get pieces of it while eating, and I do not mind that!

Ingredients Needed:

You need a few simple ingredients for this recipe:

Eggplant: Use Globe American or Italian large eggplants. They are flavorful, sweet and creamy. Perfect for grilling in oven or on outdoor grill.

Garlic: Use a couple of garlic cloves to give Baba Ganoush a nice kick.

Tahini: Never skip this step. Sesame tahini makes the dish a sweet creamy taste and balances the flavors really well.

Yogurt: Plain or Greek would work perfect.

Lemon Juice: I love lemons and I am usually generous with the amounts I use in my dishes.

Paprika: Try to use smoked paprika if you can. Otherwise regular one works fine too. Paprika gives a nice smokiness to the dish and complements that of the charred eggplants.

Cumin: Use it for its sweet and nutty flavor. Cumin is the best spice to use with Baba Ganoush.

Olive Oil: I only use Extra Virgin Olive Oil as a finishing oil.

You will also need some pomegranate and freshly chopped flat parsley for garnishing and always drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.

How to Make Baba Ganoush

Step 1:

Start by cutting the eggplants into 1 inch think rounds. After that, sprinkle with some salt and set aside for a few minuets until they sweat out the water.

Step 2:

Pat dry with kitchen paper towel and bake at 400F for 20 minutes. The pieces should come out golden with char marks. Let the eggplants cool completely.

Step 3:

In a food processor add the flesh with some skin on and the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth.

Finally, serve in a dip bowl and garnish with pomegranate, freshly chopped flat Italian parsley and drizzle with olive oil.

I used fresh thyme instead of parsley and it was perfect!

What to Have with Baba Ganoush

This great side dish goes with all kinds of grilled meats and chicken.

Try Baba Ganoush with Spiced Meatballs, or with Whole Roasted Chicken and Garlic Honey Chicken.

Here are some other side dishes that you may like;
Hummus
Hummus with Beef
Butter Garlic Potatoes
Tabbouleh

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