Eggplant Dip (Baba Ghanouj) Recipe
Here is a wonderful recipe for baba ghanouj (also spelled baba ghanoush) a middle eastern eggplant dip. It is typically served with pita bread.
Area covering: Israel, Lebanon, Syria, the Palestinian Territories, Jordan, Kurdistan and Egypt.
Baba Ghanoush is part of Meze:
Meze or mezze (pron.: /ˈmɛzeɪ/) is a selection of small dishes served in the Mediterranean, as appetizers.. ..
In Israel both the traditional version made with tahini and a variation made with mayonnaise is widely available
1-2 globe eggplants (totaling 2 lbs)
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2-3 Tbsp raw tahini
1-2 garlic cloves (more or less depending on how garlicky you want your baba ghanouj to be), finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Juice of one lemon - about 2 1/2 tablespoons
Salt to taste
1 Tbsp chopped parsley
Preheat oven to 400°F. Poke the eggplants in several places with the tines of a fork and Place on a baking sheet, cut side down, and roast until very tender, about 35-40 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes.
Scoop the eggplant flesh into a large bowl and mash well with a fork. Combine the eggplant, minced garlic, remaining olive oil (about 2 Tbsp), tahini, garlic, cumin, 2 Tbsp of the lemon juice, the salt of. Mash well. You want the mixture to be somewhat smooth but still retaining some of the eggplant's texture.
Allow the baba ghanoush to cool to room temperature, then season to taste with additional lemon juice, salt to taste. Top if off with extra virgin olive oil and enjoy!. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley and enjoy more…..
Serve with pita bread, crackers, toast, sliced baguette, celery, or cucumber slices.
From a Lebanese origins:
"I am of Lebanese origins and I like to add how baba ganouj is mixed. The blender overmixes and looses some of the flavors so instead you can use just a wooden spoon or like mom uses the pestle and just mash and stir the eggplant after mixing the tahini with the lemon juice and 3 Tablespoons cold water together and form a soft paste, I omit the cummin and the smashed garlic, make sure you have good quality eggplants…"
B'teavon !