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Baba Ghanoush | Mediterranean Smokey Creamy Eggplant Dip

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Baba Ghanoush, say that three times. It’s such a fun word. The name has a delightful sound to it but what’s even better is the taste of this creamy eggplant dip. It’s rich, smokey, nutty, with a touch of garlic. It’s the type of appetizer dish you’ll want to dig into with a spoon. 

Baba Ghanoush Mediterranean eggplant dip with a smokey, garlic, nutty taste

 

All it took was one bite

Eggplant, aubergine, or melanzana, as I know the vegetable, is the main ingredient of this dip. The dish is of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean origin, and we tasted it for the first time when our son took us to a restaurant that featured Middle Eastern and Greek cuisine. 

One bite was all it took. I think we heard angels singing on high. 

Believe me; we had to implement a lot of self-control, not to go back to the buffet and ladle the baba ghanoush onto our plate. Oh, and also grab the pile of warm flatbread that was next to the dip. 

Baba Ghanoush is a Mediterranean eggplant dip that tastes smokey, garlicky, nutty, and is irresistible.

 

Simple ingredients yield complex taste

For baba ghanoush, you only need five ingredients more: tahini ( a sesame paste), olive oil, fresh lemon, smoked paprika, and parsley. 

I don’t count kosher salt as an ingredient, even though it’s included because I figure you usually have that in your kitchen. 

Those six ingredients in combination produce a magical substance that you’ll want to slather on a delicious piece of yeast bread like pocketless pitas.  

Baba Ghanoush is an eggplant dip that is delicious on homemade flatbread.

 

The best baba ghanoush

I want to fill you in on the secrets to making a superior eggplant dip.

  •  You roast the eggplants on a grill. You can check doneness by piercing either end of the globe with a skewer.  If there’s resistance, just keep them on a little longer. 
  • When done, wrap the eggplant tightly in foil and let them rest for 15 minutes.
  • Now, this is important ?, scoop the flesh from the skin and put the meat in a salad spinner. Yes! A salad spinner! Crank it gently. Spinning removes the additional moisture from the eggplant and concentrates the flavor. 

Baba Ganoush is a Mediterranean eggplant dip that gets part of it's smokey flavor from roasting it on the grill.

 

Quick to put together

We like our dips creamy, so we put the eggplant, garlic, and lemon juice in our food processor.  Pulse until it comes together into a smooth paste. We add the tahini and pulse again. Now, we turn on the processor and pour the olive oil in a thin, steady stream. 

Baba Ghanoush a Mediterranean eggplant dip gets its creamy texture from the food processor.

 

Next, comes the parsley, salt, and smoked paprika and we mix that in by hand. Taste.  Hmmm, does it need more lemon? More salt? Here is where you season to taste.

Transfer to a serving bowl, drizzle with olive oil and serve with warm flatbread or veggies.

Baba Ghanoush is a creamy Mediterranean eggplant dip that tastes smokey, garlicky, nutty and irresistible.

 

Ecco!! You’ve made baba ghanoush!! Now, for the best part! Mangia!! 

Tutti a tavola è pronto. 

Un caro saluto e alla prossima.

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Baba Ghanoush is a Mediterranean eggplant dip that has a smokey, garlicky, nutty flavor that is delicious slathered on flatbread.  

Baba Ghanoush | Mediterranean Smokey Creamy Eggplant Dip

A Mediterranean eggplant dip that is smoky, creamy, garlicky, with a nutty sesame flavor. It's delicious served as an appetizer with flatbread or vegetables.
5 from 3 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine: Mediterranean, Middle Eastern
Keyword: dip, low-calorie appetizer, mediterranean
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 15 Bowl
Calories: 1277kcal
Author: Marisa Franca @ All Our Way

Ingredients

  • 3 medium eggplants about 2 pound total
  • 3 medium cloves of garlic
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice more if desired
  • 3 Tablespoons tahini sesame paste
  • 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil more for serving
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
  • Kosher salt

Instructions

  • Preheat gas or charcoal grill to medium heat and place eggplants directly over heat source. Our heat is between 350-400 F. Cook, turning occasionally with tongs, until tender and charred on all sides, between 30 to 40 minutes.
  • The eggplants should be very tender. Test the eggplants by sticking a skewer near the stem and bottom ends. If the skewer meets resistance, continue cooking.
  • When it's done wrap the eggplants in foil and crimp the top to seal. Let the eggplants rest for 15 minutes.
  • Open the foil package, using a sharp knife slit open the eggplants and with a large spoon scoop out the soft flesh and transfer to a strainer set in a large bowl. Pick out any bits of skin and blackened flesh.
  • Transfer eggplant to a salad spinner, and put the meat evenly around the bowl. Crank the spinner gently until all the excess moisture is extracted.
  • Put the eggplant in a food processor and add garlic, lemon juice and pulse until it is smooth and creamy. Add the tahini and pulse again until it's combined. With the processor turned-on, slowly add the olive oil in a thin steady stream. The mixture will be pale and creamy. By hand, stir in parsley, smoked paprika, and salt. Taste to see if you'd like additional salt and lemon juice.
  • Put the baba ghanoush into a serving bowl, drizzle with olive oil, and serve with warm flatbread or vegetables (do the flatbread -- it's fantastic).
  • Baba ghanoush can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. Let the eggplant dip warm to room temperature before serving.

Notes

Adapted from The Best Baba Ganoush by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt at Serious Eats

Nutrition

Calories: 1277kcal | Carbohydrates: 97g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 98g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Sodium: 56mg | Potassium: 3517mg | Fiber: 44g | Sugar: 49g | Vitamin A: 51.3% | Vitamin C: 80.6% | Calcium: 22.4% | Iron: 38.4%

Note: Recipes and content from ©2017 All Our Way are copyright protected. Please do not use content or recipe without prior written permission. If you want to share the information, please link to this post. Grazie! 

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Comments

  1. YES…this is my kind of dip. There was a time I never liked eggplant. Probably because my mom NEVER cooked it…not once. I have experimented with it over the years, and have grown to like it. This is my favourite way to enjoy it. Perfect for parties too.

    Reply

  3. babaganoush, babaganoush, babaganoush! I love it.. totally 🙂 and while I do experiments with hummus by adding roasted bell peppers or beetroot to it, I like baba gnash just the way it was originally intended. Just like your recipe!

    And reading through it, I feel like I need to go buy some big eggplants to roast right away and some of this amazing dip 🙂

    Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  5. I do mine on the grill too! Great minds think alike… This is a fabulous recipe, and your baba ghanoush looks so creamy. I’d love some with fresh pita for lunch today!

    Reply

  6. I wish I could literally grab that bowl out of the screen!! Your recipe looks amazing and you explained it so well Marissa. I’m such a HUGE fan of Baba-Ghanoush and I can literally eat it just like that 😉

    Reply

  7. What else do you need with those amazing flatbreads. I still can’t get over how wonderful your flatbreads and this Baba ghanoush is a perfect dip to serve with it. I use eggplants a lot, but have not baba ghanoush yet. Time to make some 🙂

    Reply

    • I was the same as you, Val. I’d heard of baba ghanoush many times but had never tasted it. Boy, was I ever missing a real treat!! Are you going to make it for your brother?

      Reply

  12. I’ve only had eggplant once in my life … this was not the way it was prepared that time. I’m quite tempted to try this recipe, but will have to find some eggplant…

    Reply

  13. We make something similar in Indian cuisine called sutta kathirikai chutney. I should try this version sometime.

    Reply

  14. I have never roasted them on the grill! Great tip! I am like you in that I want to stop and thank the higher power when I taste something authentic and yummy like that! I felt the same about tzatziki the first time I tasted it! Love this and I’m going to be trying that pocketless pita too! This might be my dinner for a week so no judgment.

    Reply

    • Hi, Jennifer! I know you’re going to love the roasted eggplant. It’s easy and so good. Try them on the flatbread and I never judge food preferences — I have some of my own. ?

      Reply

  21. Oh wow. Marisa. This is such a co-incidence.. I made Eggplant with Tahini today!
    This looks so good. I love that you pulsed it in the food processor. Looks so smooth. I leave mine chunky.
    Next time I’m making your recipe. Love the parsley!! Yum.

    Reply

    • Hey, Veena! Great minds think alike ?. Try it smooth and see how you like it. Let me know — we’ve never had it chunky although, hearing the oohs and aahs from the family I don’t know how it could improve.

      Reply

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