Better Than Hummus Baba Ganoush
This is an amazing dip that always turns people's heads. I tend to tell people that it's like hummus instead of saying an eggplant dip. I find that helps get people to try it instead of turning their nose.
This is an amazing dip that always turns people's heads. I tend to tell people that it's like hummus instead of saying an eggplant dip. I find that helps get people to try it instead of turning their nose.
- Carbohydrate 14.1561448340352 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 11.1768683333333 g
- Fiber 7.15581518680528 g
- Protein 3.43873516669757 g
- Saturated Fat 1.56767466666667 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (213g)
- Sodium 207.987733023351 mg
- Sugar 7.00032964722996 g
- Trans Fat 0.487600999999997 g
- Calories 157 calories
Step-by-step
- With a paring knife, make small slits in the eggplants and insert the garlic.
- Build a fire using large charcoal or wood; let it burn down to embers.
- When ready to cook, place the eggplants directly on the embers, raking any loose coals around them with a grill hoe or tongs. Grill until the skins are charred all over and the flesh is very soft, 15 to 20 minutes in all, turning frequently with tongs.
- Transfer the eggplants to a plate to cool. Peel the burnt skin off the eggplants. (Don’t worry about removing every last bit.)
- Coarsely puree the eggplants with their garlic in a food processor. Add the tahini, 2 tablespoons of oil, the lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Taste for seasoning, adding salt or lemon juice as necessary; the mixture should be very flavorful. Add the parsley and process in short bursts, just to mix.
- Spoon the dip into a small bowl lined with lettuce leaves, drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, and sprinkle with paprika.
Direct ember roasting imparts a chemical compound called guaiacol into the eggplant flesh, creating a distinct smoky flavor profile that indoor gas burners cannot replicate.
- Burying garlic cloves directly inside small knife slits allows the cloves to steam and soften inside their skins as the eggplant roasts, eliminating the sharp, acrid bite raw garlic often brings to pureed dips.
- Scraping charred skin away is necessary, but leaving minor flecks of black carbon intact actually enhances the rustic, campfire profile of the dish.
- Balancing tahini and lemon juice requires tasting dynamically, because high-acid lemon juice counteracts the heavy bitterness of scorched Solanaceae flesh.
- Coarse sea salt acts as an abrasive during initial processing to break down fibrous seed membranes without over-processing the mixture into a watery paste.
Traditional Levantine preparations rely on maximizing cheap, seasonal produce rather than expensive imported ingredients. Preserved lemon can replace fresh juice when necessary, though fresh citrus provides a brighter enzymatic lift that keeps the heavy sesame paste from tasting cloying.
