Baba Ganoush

There are only a few dips that became firm favorites with people all around the globe and baba ganoush is one of them.

It originated in the Middle East, and the name sounds like something out of “One Thousand and One Nights.”

With only a handful of ingredients, baba ganoush is a simple dish. But it is exactly this simplicity and the perfect balance between those few ingredients that make it so outstanding. This recipe tastes great with naan or roti, and the combination makes a great meal! Make sure you pack in an insulated container to keep it fresh.

The base component is smoky eggplant. It gives the dish its underlying flavor and texture and makes the dish naturally low in carbs. Eggplant is also a rich source of fiber, vitamins, potassium, iron, copper, and manganese.

Ingredients

big eggplants (aubergine, brinjal): 3

garlic cloves: 3

Juice of 1 lemon

tahini (a condiment made from toasted sesame seeds): 2 tbsp

olive oil: 3 tbsp

salt: 1 tsp

chopped parsley: 1 tbsp

How To Make Baba Ganoush

To achieve the smoky flavor, you can roast or grill (broil) the eggplants in the oven, fry them slowly in a skillet or roast them on a barbeque. The skin needs to be charred, and the flesh should be very soft.

This will take about 40-45 minutes. 

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F / 200 C.
2. Prick the skin of the eggplants with a fork or the tip of a knife and place the roasting tray in the oven.
3. Roast for 40 minutes, turning the eggplants halfway through.
4. Place for 5 minutes under the oven grill or broiler. The skin should get nicely charred, and the flesh should be very soft at this stage.
5. Remove into a bowl and let cool down.
6. In a mortar crush the garlic to a pulp with 1 tsp salt. You can also use a grinder or blender.
7. Remove the skin from the eggplants. Use a fork, whisker or a potato masher to break up bigger bits until you get a paste-like consistency (you can use a blender which will give you a much smoother finish).
8. Add all other ingredients and stir thoroughly.
9. Check the seasoning and add more salt if necessary. Eggplants can absorb a lot of seasoning, and you don't want to end up with a bland baba ganoush.
10. Transfer to a serving dish, drizzle with some olive oil and garnish with parsley. 

Baba ganoush is traditionally a dip for pita bread, but you can use any other bread or vegetables (like avocado chunks, carrot or celery stick) as well.

For the carnivores amongst us, it is also a delicious to accompanist to grilled meat or fish. 

Enjoy the dish and happy cooking.