Baba Ghanoush Recipes

EPIC BABA GANOUSH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit with a rack in the upper third of the oven. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent the eggplant from sticking to the pan. Halve the eggplants lengthwise and brush the cut sides lightly with olive oil. Place them in the prepared pan with the halved sides down.
• Roast the eggplant until the interior is very tender throughout and the skin is collapsing, about 35 to 40 minutes (this might take longer if you are using 1 large eggplant). Set the eggplant aside to cool for a few minutes. Flip the eggplants over and scoop out the flesh with a large spoon, leaving the skin behind.
• Place a mesh strainer over a mixing bowl, then transfer the flesh to the strainer and discard the skins. Pick out any stray bits of eggplant skin and discard. You want to remove as much moisture from the eggplant here as possible, so let the eggplant rest for a few minutes and shake/stir the eggplant to release some more moisture.
• Discard all of the eggplant drippings, drain and wipe out the bowl, and dump the eggplant into the bowl. Add the garlic and lemon juice to the eggplant and stir vigorously with a fork until eggplant breaks down. Add the tahini to the bowl and stir until it's incorporated. While stirring, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Continue stirring until the mixture is pale and creamy, and use your fork to break up any particularly long strings of eggplant.
• Stir in the parsley, salt and cumin. Season to taste with more salt (I usually add another 1/4 teaspoon) and more lemon juice, if you'd like a more tart flavor.
• Transfer the baba ganoush to a serving bowl and lightly drizzle olive oil on top. Lastly, sprinkle parsley and smoked paprika on top. Serve with accompaniments of your choice. It's also great on sandwiches!

BABA GHANOUSH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.
• Place eggplant on baking sheet, and make holes in the skin with a fork. Roast it for 30 to 40 minutes, turning occasionally, or until soft. Remove from oven, and place into a large bowl of cold water. Remove from water, and peel skin off.
• Place eggplant, lemon juice, tahini, sesame seeds, and garlic in an electric blender, and puree. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer eggplant mixture to a medium size mixing bowl, and slowly mix in olive oil. Refrigerate for 3 hours before serving.

CLASSIC BABA GHANOUSH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375F. Cut each eggplant in half vertically and place on sheet pan. Drizzle with about 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 40-45 minutes until very soft.
• Let eggplants cool before handling. Scoop eggplant flesh out of skins into bowl of a food processor. Add lemon juice, tahini, garlic, olive oil and salt and pepper. Process until smooth. Serve with pita bread or pita chips.

TRADITIONAL BABA GHANOUSH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Arrange oven racks so you have one low and one high in the oven.
• Cut a shallow slit along the side of the eggplant and place into a baking dish.
• Roast in preheated oven on the lower rack until the eggplant is completely shrunken and soft, about 40 minutes. Move dish to higher rack and continue baking until the skin is charred, about 5 minutes more. Let eggplant cool until cool enough to handle.
• Peel and discard skin from eggplant. Put eggplant into a bowl; add tahini, garlic, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and salt. Stir until ingredients are evenly mixed. Drizzle olive oil over the baba ghanoush and garnish with parsley.

BABA GANOUSH

Steps:

• Heat the grill to its highest setting. Put the aubergines on a baking sheet and grill for 35-40 mins or until completely softened, blackened and blistered, turning them halfway through with a pair of tongs. Set aside and leave to cool completely.
• Once your aubergines are cool enough to handle, gently peel off the charred skin and discard. Transfer the flesh to the large bowl of a food processor along with 30ml of the oil, the coriander, cumin, tahini, lemon and half the parsley. Season and pulse the flesh three or four times to create a chunky textured dip.
• Transfer the dip to a bowl and drizzle with the remaining oil, scatter over any leftover parsley and serve with warm flatbreads or pitta.

BABA GANOUSH - THE BEST IN THE WORLD!

Steps:

• Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill.
• Preheat an oven to 375°F.
• Prick the eggplant with a fork in several places and place on the grill rack 4 to 5 inches from the fire.
• Grill, turning frequently, until the skin blackens and blisters and the flesh just begins to feel soft, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Transfer the eggplant to a baking sheet and bake until very soft, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Remove from the oven, let cool slightly, and peel off and discard the skin.
• Place the eggplant flesh in a bowl.
• Using a fork, mash the eggplant to a paste.
• Add the 1/4 cup tahini, the garlic, the 1/4 cup lemon juice and the cumin and mix well.
• Season with salt, then taste and add more tahini and/or lemon juice, if needed.
• Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl and spread with the back of a spoon to form a shallow well.
• Drizzle the olive oil over the top and sprinkle with the parsley.
• Place the olives around the sides.
• Serve at room temperature.

BABA GHANOUJ

Steps:

• Prepare a hot gas or charcoal grill. Pierce the eggplants in several places with a fork or the tip of a knife, and place over the hot coals. Grill, turning regularly, until soft and blackened all over. If you don't have a grill but do have a gas stove, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cover the top of your stove under the burner grates with foil to facilitate cleaning. Turn on your oven fan (so the smoke alarm won't go off), and roast the eggplants directly over the flame, turning often until charred and softened. Small, thin eggplants will cook through this way, but larger eggplants must be finished in the oven. Wrap in foil, and place in the hot oven for 20 minutes until thoroughly softened. You can also roast the eggplant under a broiler until charred and softened. The flavor of the baba ganoush will not be as smoky.
• Place the grilled eggplant in a colander in the sink, and allow to cool and drain. Peel and discard the black skins, cut off the stems, and let the eggplants sit in the colander to drain for another 15 to 30 minutes.
• Puree the eggplant in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the lemon juice, yogurt and tahini. In a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic to a paste with a generous pinch of salt. Add to the food processor, and blend with the eggplant. Add salt to taste.
• Mound the puree in a bowl or on a platter, and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve with pita bread.

BABA GANOUSH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°. Cut eggplant in half lengthwise. Place cut side up on an ungreased baking sheet. Brush 1 tablespoon olive oil over cut sides. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and paprika. Bake until dark golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Remove eggplant from pan to a wire rack to cool., Peel skin from eggplant; discard. Put flesh into a food processor and pulse to mash; transfer to bowl. Stir in tahini, lemon juice, garlic and and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Spoon into serving dish. Drizzle with additional olive oil. Sprinkle with parsley and additional paprika.