Creamy Oven-Roasted Eggplant Dip (Baba Ganoush)
You don't need to fire up the grill to make baba ganoush! My version of this ultra-creamy eggplant dip tastes a little smoky, a little spicy, and perfectly tangy. Bake a whole eggplant and puree the flesh with olive oil, tahini paste, toasted garlic, and aromatic spices. Scoop it up with warm pita or crunchy fresh vegetables.
Ingredients
- 1 large globe eggplant or 2 medium-size eggplants, total weight 1½-2 pounds
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil plus more for serving
- 2 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- ¼ cup tahini paste
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste
Garnishes
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs such as parsley, basil, mint or cilantro
- Toasted sesame seeds
- Extra virgin olive oil
Serve with:
- Crisp raw vegetables such as cucumber spears, bell peppers, radishes or zucchini
- Toasted pita or sourdough bread cut into wedges
Instructions
Yield: about 2 cups
- Preheat the oven to 475 F (245C).
- Poke about a dozen holes into the eggplant skin, using the tip of a small, sharp knife or a fork. This step allow steam to escape evenly, which will keep the eggplant from exploding as it roasts. Put the whole eggplant on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Roast the eggplant 25-30 minutes, until it looks softened, shriveled and deflated. Set it aside until it's cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes.
- While the eggplant is roasting, heat the olive oil and garlic in a small skillet over medium-high heat until the garlic smells fragrant and starts to sizzle — try not to let it brown, or it will taste bitter. Set aside.
- Set a strainer or colander over a mixing bowl. Pull or slice off the stem end of the eggplant, and cut into the skin with the the tip of a knife to open the eggplant like a book. Pull out the soft flesh using your hands, a fork or spoon, and place into the colander (you can throw out the blackened skin). Allow it to drain for a few minutes, then pour out and discard the juices in the bowl that exuded from the eggplant.
- Put the drained eggplant flesh back into the bowl. Add the reserved toasted garlic and olive oil, tahini paste, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, cumin, smoked paprika and cayenne. Mash everything together to make a coarse puree — you can use a pestle, potato masher or wooden spoon. For an ultra-smooth texture, pulse an immersion blender into the mixture until it's light and airy, or puree in a food processor.
- Taste for seasoning, and add more salt, lemon or vinegar as needed to make your taste buds happy.
- Serve the dip at room temperature, in small bowls or swirled onto a platter or shallow bowl. Sprinkle the herbs and sesame seeds over the top and drizzle with olive oil.
Video
Notes
- If possible, choose one large, plump eggplant with smooth, shiny skin. It will give you more flesh than 2 smaller ones and cook more evenly.
- To roast the eggplant on a grill: Place the poked eggplant over direct heat on a hot charcoal or gas grill. Cover the grill and bake until it the skin is charred, soft and looks like a deflated football.
- Eggplant dip keeps up to 3 days, refrigerated.
Inspired by:
The New Book of Middle Eastern Food by Mediterranean cooking authority Claudia Roden, and a recipe in Around Our Table by Sara Forte.Nutrition
Calories: 95kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 2gFat: 8gSodium: 296mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2g
