Baba Ganoush
Smoky roasted eggplant mashed with tahini, lemon juice, and raw garlic into a rough, creamy dip that's simultaneously rich and light. The entire point of baba ganoush is the char — the eggplant needs direct contact with flame or the highest heat your oven can deliver, so the skin blackens completely and the flesh underneath turns silky and smoky. I char mine directly on the gas stovetop, which takes about fifteen minutes of turning and gets the best possible flavor.
Ingredients
- 2 largeeggplants
- 3 tbsptahini
- 2 tbsplemon juice
- 2 clovesgarlic
- 2 tbspextra virgin olive oil
- to tastesalt
- 1 tbspfresh parsley
Method
- Char the eggplants: place them directly on gas burner grates over a medium-high flame. Turn every 3–4 minutes using tongs until the entire skin is blackened and blistered and the eggplant is completely soft when pressed — it should collapse under its own weight. This takes 12–15 minutes per eggplant. Alternatively, halve the eggplants, place cut-side down under the broiler at maximum heat for 20–25 minutes.
- Transfer the charred eggplants to a colander set over a bowl. Let them steam and cool for 10 minutes, then slit them open lengthwise and scoop out the flesh with a spoon, leaving the blackened skin behind. Let the flesh drain in the colander for another 5 minutes — excess liquid makes the dip watery.
- Chop the eggplant flesh roughly with a knife on a cutting board — do not use a food processor, which turns it into a smoothie and kills the texture. You want uneven, chunky pieces.
- In a bowl, combine the chopped eggplant, tahini, lemon juice, minced garlic, and salt. Stir with a fork until everything is mixed but still has visible texture. Taste and adjust — it might need more lemon or salt.
- Spread onto a plate, drizzle with olive oil, and scatter fresh parsley on top. Serve at room temperature with warm pita bread. Baba ganoush tastes even better the next day after the flavors have melded in the fridge overnight.
FAQ
The broiler is your best oven alternative. Halve the eggplants and place them cut-side down directly on the oven rack (put a tray below to catch drips) under maximum broiler heat, about 8 cm from the element. Broil for 20–25 minutes until the skin is blistered and blackened and the flesh is completely soft. Some people add a tiny drop of liquid smoke, but use it very sparingly — a quarter teaspoon maximum — or it tastes artificial.
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Comments (1)
The consistency of this baba ganoush is the difference between good and great. Too thick and it doesn't spread; too thin and it slides off. I add the liquid a tablespoon at a time until it coats the back of a spoon.