Baba Ganoush Recipe

Original Post: https://www.evolvingtable.com/baba-ganoush/

Homemade eggplant dip is healthy and delicious.

5 from 9 votes

I first tasted Baba Ganoush on a flight to Turkey, and I came home and tested it until I got that same creamy, smoky bowl right. The secret is draining the roasted eggplant, about a half cup of liquid comes out, and that’s the whole difference between a watery dip and a thick, scoopable one. Roast, drain, pulse. That’s it.

Prep Time10

Cook Time40

Resting Time:20

Total Time1 10

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Servings: servings

Author: London Lea

Equipment

Ingredients

2 pounds eggplants about 2-3 medium
4 tablespoons olive oil divided
¼ cup tahini paste
2 tablespoons lemon juice from 1 lemon
2 garlic cloves finely minced
½ teaspoon salt plus more to taste
½ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional, plus more to taste
Fresh parsley finely chopped, optional

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Cut eggplants in half lengthwise and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and place the eggplants flat-side down onto the pan. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until cook through, tender and browned.
2 pounds eggplants
Scoop out the flesh and discard the skin. Place the flesh into a fine mesh strainer over a bowl and allow to rest for 15-20 minutes. Mash the eggplant to drain any excess liquid. (You should end up with roughly 1 ¼ cups of eggplant and ~⅓-½ cup of liquid.)
Add the eggplant, 2 tablespoons olive oil, tahini paste, lemon juice, garlic cloves, salt, cumin, and red pepper flakes to a large food processor. Pulse 10-20 times, or until just combined and to your desired texture.
¼ cup tahini paste, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 garlic cloves, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon cumin, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Serve the baba ganoush with a drizzle or olive oil, a sprinkle of red pepper flakes and parsley, and with pita bread or vegetables for dipping.
Fresh parsley

Video

Notes

Serving size. One serving is roughly 2 tablespoons. The recipe makes about 1 ½ cups.
Straining. Do not skip this. You should pull ⅓ to ½ cup of liquid out of the roasted eggplant, leaving about 1 ¼ cups. Skip it and the baba ganoush will be runny.
Texture. Pulse 10 to 20 times and stop while a few small chunks remain. Running the processor straight through turns it into a puree.
Storage. Keeps in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days, and the flavor improves on day two. It does not freeze well.
Make ahead. Make it up to 2 days before a party, then add the olive oil drizzle and parsley right before serving.
Smoky version. Grill the eggplant halves cut-side down over medium-high heat until the skins blister and collapse, then continue with the draining step.

Nutrition