Baba ghanoush is a typical meze (or mezze) of Eastern Mediterranean cuisine, often served as a dip with pita bread, appetizer, or side dish. It is similar to hummus, but it calls for grilled or roasted eggplant instead of chickpeas.
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With its earthy, smoky, savory flavor and smooth, creamy texture, baba ghanoush is one of those foods that embody all of the goodness of Mediterranean cuisine. It is perfect for dipping pita bread or raw, crisp vegetables.
Baba ghanoush also spelled baba ganoush or baba ghanouj, is a Middle Eastern appetizer. This dish has many variations, depending on the country — Lebanon, Egypt, Palestine, Iraq, Armenia, Jordan, and Turkey.
It is usually made of puréed roasted eggplant, olive oil, fresh lemon juice, various spices, and tahini.
The eggplant is baked or broiled, or even better, grilled over an open flame before peeling. The pulp becomes soft and gets a pleasant smoky taste.
What is the difference between Baba Ghanoush and the Greek Roasted Eggplant Dip (Melitzanosalata)?
As most Mediterranean restaurants serve baba ghanoush, it is not surprising that it is more widely known. The primary difference with Melitzanosalata is found in texture and ingredients. Baba ghanoush has a much smoother, creamier texture and is typically processed with a fair amount of tahini. At the same time, in the Greek roasted eggplant dip, the eggplant is left chunky in its basic form. Both dishes are delicious and have distinct differences in the texture and flavor, making them difficult to pick one!
Baba Ghanoush Ingredients
- Eggplants
- Tahini
- Garlic
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Italian parsley
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
How to make the Baba Ghanoush
When preparing the baba ghanoush recipe, use some fresh purple fat eggplants (not the long ones).
Start by repeatedly piercing the eggplants (so they won’t explode while cooking) and roasting them over an open flame or on the barbeque for a smoky flavor.
If this is not feasible, or the weather is not permitting the use of one, roasting the eggplants in the broiler is the next best thing, but it will give a slightly less smoky effect.
Give them enough time to cook until the skin is charred and the flesh is soft and cooked.
Let the eggplants cool until easy to handle, and then cut them lengthwise.
Place a mesh strainer in a bowl. Using a spoon, scoop out the flesh and remove any burned bits and transfer it into the mesh strainer.
Press the eggplants with the bask of a large spoon until most of the liquid is drained. This will yield a creamy, thick, luxurious texture and reduce the bitterness of the eggplants.
Remove the strainer and discard the liquid in the bowl.
Add all ingredients to the bowl of a food processor and process until creamy.
Refrigerate the baba ghanoush for at least an hour before serving to allow the flavors to develop.
Tips to make the perfect Baba Ghanoush
- Eggplants with a lot of flesh are the best choice for this recipe.
- Italian eggplant is less bitter, so it is preferred for this dip.
- Smaller eggplants usually have fewer seeds, making them less bitter.
- Pick firm eggplants with smooth, glossy skin and fresh green stem and feel heavy for their size.
- Use the eggplants promptly, so they don’t get bitter by sitting on the kitchen counter.
- Cook the eggplants over an open fire or on the barbeque for a smoky flavor. If this is not feasible, roasting the eggplants in the broiler is the next best thing.
- Drain the excess liquid. Scoop out the flesh of the eggplant, place it in a mesh strainer and squeeze to get out most of the liquid. This is essential to the dip’s rich, thick, creamy texture.
- Refrigerate the baba ghanoush for at least an hour before serving to allow the flavors to develop.
Make-ahead tips and Storage
Baba ganoush can be stored in an airtight glass container in the fridge for about 4 days.
If you love this baba ghanoush recipe, try the Greek Roasted Eggplant Dip – Melitzanosalata.
More dip recipes
Spicy Roasted Red Pepper and Feta Dip – Htipiti
Baba Ghanoush
Ingredients
- 2 large Italian eggplants
- 4-5 cloves garlic unpeeled
- ¼ cup tahini
- 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil divided
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
- 3 tbsp pomegranate arils for serving
- Vegetable crudités for serving
- 1 tbsp Italian parsley chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the grill , if using, or the broiler.
- If using the broiler, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (for easy clean-up) and place a rack in the prepared pan.
- Using a fork, pierce the eggplants all over, several times, and arrange them on the rack of the pan or on the grill.
- Wrap the garlic cloves in some foil and place them on the rack of the pan or on the grill.
- Cook the garlic for about 15 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- If using the grill, roast the eggplants for about 30 minutes on the grill, turning them occasionally until the eggplants are soft (when pierced with a fork) and their skin is charred on all sides evenly.
- If using the broiler, roast the eggplants for about 40 minutes, turning them occasionally until the eggplants are soft (when pierced with a fork) and their skin is black on all sides evenly.
- When ready, set them aside for about 10 minutes to cool.
- Place a mesh strainer over a large mixing bowl.
- Cut the eggplants lengthwise scoop out the flesh and transfer to the strainer. If the eggplants have a lot of large seed, remove and discard the part with the seeds. Discard the skins.
- Let rest for 15 minutes. Using a spoon, press occasionally to drain as much liquid as possible. Discard the juice as it is very bitter.
- Wipe dry the bowl before adding the eggplant mixture to the same bowl and set aside.
- Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves to release the edible interior into the bowl of a food processor.
- Add the eggplant, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and process until creamy.
- Add the tahini, lemon juice, parsley, and one-quarter (4 tbsp) cup of olive oil into the bowl.
- Transfer the dip back to the mixing bowl, add the parsley and stir to combine.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour, to allow the flavors to blend.
- Transfer the dip to serving a bowl and garnish with the remaining olive oil and the pomegranate arils.
- Serve with a selection of vegetable crudités and/or warmed pita wedges.
Notes
- Eggplants with a lot of flesh are the best choice for this recipe
- Italian eggplant is less bitter, so it is preferred for this dip.
- Smaller eggplants usually have fewer seeds, making them less bitter.
- Pick firm eggplants with smooth, glossy skin and fresh green stem and feel heavy for their size.
- Use the eggplants promptly, so they don’t get bitter by sitting on the kitchen counter.
- Cooking the eggplants over an open flame or on the barbeque gives them a nice, smoky flavor that oven/broiler roasting just can’t do.
- Drain the excess liquid. Scoop out the flesh of the eggplant, place it in a mesh strainer and squeeze to get out most of the liquid. This is essential to the dip’s rich, thick, creamy texture.
- Refrigerate the baba ghanoush for at least an hour before serving to allow the flavors to develop.
- Baba ganoush can be stored in an airtight glass container in the fridge for about 4 days.
Nutrition
This information is provided as a courtesy and for entertainment purposes only. This information comes from online calculators. Although eatmediterraneanfood.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
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Parsley not listed in ingredients.
Thanks! I updated it