Baba Ganoush Recipe
This is best left rustic with some texture. Because of this, simply mashing and stirring with a fork is all that’s needed. You can make this in a food processor or blender. Be careful, though. It will become much smoother. Baba ganoush gets even better after a day or two in the refrigerator, so this is perfect for making ahead!
This is best left rustic with some texture. Because of this, simply mashing and stirring with a fork is all that’s needed. You can make this in a food processor or blender. Be careful, though. It will become much smoother. Baba ganoush gets even better after a day or two in the refrigerator, so this is perfect for making ahead!
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 2 medium eggplants (about 2 pounds or 900 grams)
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) tahini see our homemade tahini recipe
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) lemon juice
- 2 to 3 garlic cloves finely minced (see note)
- 1 teaspoonâ olive oil optional
- Carbohydrate 0.11889 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.0294929166666667 g
- Fiber 0.0509874993960063 g
- Protein 0.05320375 g
- Saturated Fat 0.003015125 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (2g)
- Sodium 101.627133333333 mg
- Sugar 0.0679025006039937 g
- Trans Fat 0.00601633333333333 g
- Calories 1 calories
Step-by-step
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and turn broiler on (high heat). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Place eggplants onto the baking sheet and prick in several places using a fork. This helps steam escape while the eggplants roast. Broil eggplants 2 minutes on all sides. The skin will darken a little and begin to smell smoky, adding lots of flavor to the dip.
- Turn broiler off, but do not remove eggplants from the oven. Heat oven to 375 degrees F, and then roast eggplants until very soft; 25 to 30 minutes. Cool 10 to 15 minutes until easily handled.
- Meanwhile, combine tahini, lemon juice, garlic, cumin and the salt in a medium bowl. Set aside so the flavors meld.
- Split the roasted eggplants, drain excess liquid, scrape out the flesh and add to the tahini mixture. (Discard excess liquid and skins). Mash eggplant into tahini mixture with a fork until somewhat smooth with some texture remaining. Cool to room temperature then stir in parsley and drizzle the top with olive oil. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate up to 5 days.
Should the eggplant go straight into the food processor, or is manual mashing strictly required? Culinary purists often insist on a fork, arguing that motorized blades shear the vegetable fibers into baby food instead of preserving the rustic structural integrity expected of a proper dip. Processing the flesh too finely releases excess moisture and turns the mixture gluey, whereas hand-mashing keeps the pulp coarse and receptive to the tahini emulsion.
Efficiency in prep demands strict sequencing while the fruit softens in the oven. Whisking the lemon juice, garlic, cumin, and kosher salt together before the eggplant arrives allows the raw garlic to mellow in the acid, neutralizing harsh sulfur compounds before they overwhelm the dish. Tahini thickens immediately upon contact with citrus juice, so letting this paste rest creates a stable base that readily absorbs the warm, roasted pulp.
Judging doneness relies entirely on tactile feedback rather than internal thermometers. Pressing the exterior should yield zero resistance, indicating that the inner flesh has collapsed into a uniform creaminess surrounded by charred, papery skin. Piercing the skin with a fork before heat application prevents steam pressure from splitting the fruit prematurely across the baking sheet.
Proper drainage determines whether the final consistency remains rich or turns watery. Draining the scraped flesh in a colander for five minutes removes bitter, accumulated juices that would otherwise dilute the nutty richness of the sesame paste. Storing the finished dip in an airtight container for up to five days actually improves the overall profile as the garlic and smoke permeate the eggplant entirely.
