I made a lot of mistakes the first time I made Baba Ganoush, but now I bring to you a restaurant-quality recipe that every Baba Ganoush lover will love. Made with roasted eggplant and tahini, it's rich, creamy, smoky, and utterly delicious. My choice of dippers was baked pita chips and cucumbers. Feel free to use whatever you like!
About This Recipe
The first time I made Baba Ganoush it did not turn out well at all. In fact, it was horrible. I didn't cook the eggplant long enough, and I also didn't know eggplants had seeds, so I didn't remove them. It ended up being very bitter (because of the seeds) and the texture was just awful.
But now that I've had some practice over the years, I can happily say my baba ganoush is much better. Restaurant-quality, actually.
If you like hummus, then you'll probably like this recipe. The taste is very similar. Baba Ganosh is creamy, savory, nutty, and has a hint of smokiness from the eggplant being roasted.
The key to baba ganoush is really to roast the eggplant long enough. You want the inside to be completely fork tender and the outside to have some charring on it. The charring will infuse the eggplant with a delicious smokiness.
Once the eggplant is cooked, it's important to remove the seeds. I find larger eggplants will have bigger seeds at the base. These are the ones that pose a problem. The smaller seeds along the flesh of the eggplant (the ones that look like poppy seeds) do not actually matter that much. Their flavor and texture are negligible. It's the big ones that can ruin it. Just use your hands to remove them.
Key Ingredients
Eggplants: I use 2 medium-large sized globe eggplants. These are pretty standard for baba ganoush because they have a lot of flesh inside them. The only thing to worry about is the bigger seeds at the base of the eggplant, they can make the baba ganoush bitter.
Tahini: A good quality tahini is recommended by most recipes. However, I've lived most of my life using low-quality tahini because it's cheap, and honestly, I've not noticed much of a difference. If you're trying to go for a more roasted flavor, I'd recommend using Chinese sesame paste instead. It's made from roasted sesame seeds whereas tahini is made from raw sesame seeds.
Lemon juice: Any good baba ganoush will have some fresh lemon juice to brighten all the flavors.
Olive Oil: I used extra virgin olive oil. If your baba ganoush is too thick, you can add more olive oil to thin it out.
Garlic and salt: These are pretty self explanatory. They add great flavor.
Instructions
STEP 1: Pierce the eggplants with a fork all over (This prevents pressure from building up).
STEP 2: Wrap in foil and place on a baking sheet.
STEP 3: Bake at 425°F for 50-70 minutes, depending on the size of the eggplants.
STEP 4: Peel the skin and scoop the flesh into a strainer over a bowl. Use a spoon or ladle to press the flesh into the strainer to get rid of excess moisture.
STEP 5: Add the eggplant flesh, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and salt to a food processor. Blend until smooth.
Baba Ganoush
Ingredients
- 2 medium eggplants
- ¼ cup tahini
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt
- chopped fresh parsley
- smoked paprika
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Pierce the eggplants all over with a fork. Wrap the eggplants in foil and place on a baking sheet. Roast for 50-70 minutes, depending on the size of the eggplants, until completely tender on the inside.
- Remove the eggplants from the oven, and let them cool until you can handle them. Peel off the skin and remove any large clumps of seeds.
- Place the eggplant flesh in a strainer over a bowl. Use a spoon or ladle to press the flesh into the strainer to remove excess water. Discard the water.
- Add the eggplant, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and salt to a food processor. Pulse until smooth.
- Transfer to a dish and top with parsley and smoked paprika. Enjoy with pita and veggies!
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