Baba Ganoush
Ingredients
&w=3840&q=75){kind=small}
&w=3840&q=75){kind=small}
- 2 pounds eggplant (~1.5 medium eggplants)
- 1/3 cup tahini
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic – finely grated
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- extra-virgin olive oil – for serving
- flat-leaf parsley – chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
1. Position an oven rack 6–8 inches below the broiler and preheat to high. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Prick each eggplant several times with a fork to vent.
2. Broil on the prepared sheet, turning every 5–7 minutes, until the skins are deeply blackened and the flesh is very soft and collapsed, 25–35 minutes. (Alternatively, grill over medium-high direct heat, turning occasionally, 15–25 minutes, to the same doneness.)
3. Transfer to a bowl, cover loosely, and let steam until just cool enough to handle, 10–15 minutes. Split, scoop out the flesh, and discard the skins and any very seedy pockets.
4. Drain the flesh in a fine-mesh strainer or colander for 10–15 minutes to shed excess liquid, then transfer to a bowl and mash with a fork until slightly chunky.
5. Stir in the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and kosher salt until creamy and well combined, 1–2 minutes.
6. Transfer to a shallow bowl, swirl the surface, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Baba ganoush is a smoky, creamy eggplant dip balanced by nutty tahini, bright lemon, and a gentle hit of raw garlic. The texture should be silky yet rustic, with soft bits of eggplant suspended in a luscious emulsion. Served with warm flatbread or crisp vegetables, it’s a centerpiece of mezze spreads for its depth of flavor and light, clean finish.
Across the Levant, fire-roasted eggplant salads and spreads are a longstanding tradition, and baba ganoush (Arabic: bābā ghannūj) is among the most beloved. Regional distinctions sometimes differentiate baba ganoush from mutabbal—one being chunkier and the other more tahini-forward—but in many modern contexts the names overlap. However it’s labeled, the essential character comes from charring the eggplant over flame, then balancing it with tahini, lemon, and salt to create a dip that has traveled widely and become a global classic.