Baba Ghanoush | Roast Eggplant or Brinjal Dip

Smooth as silk, enticing smoky flavor and utterly delicious – Baba Ghanoush is a truly versatile dip, originating from Lebanese cuisine. Add it to your mezze plater or simply pair it as a dip for veggie sticks or pita pockets.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time35 mins

Total Time45 mins

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine: Lebanese, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern

Servings:

Calories: 131kcal

Author: Sonia

Ingredients

2 eggplant or brinjal, medium
3 tbsp tahini homemade or store-bought
2 garlic cloves If you like it more garlic-y like me, feel free to use more!
Salt to taste
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp Greek yogurt OR 20g feta cheese, crumbled
1 tbsp lime juice

Garnishes (choose as per your preference)

1 tsp cumin powder
1.5 tsp red chili flakes or paprika
1/2 tsp sumac to sprinkle over
fresh parsley chopped
¼ cup pomegranate arils
2 tbsp nuts of your choice toasted and chopped (optional; avoid if allergic to nuts)

Instructions

FOR GRILLING IN OVEN

First, pre-heat the oven at 220 °C or about 430 degree Fahrenheit. Meanwhile as the oven is heating, wash the eggplants and pat dry with a cloth.
Next, cut the tops of the eggplants and slit them neatly in half. You could also poke some holes/ cuts randomly along the skin side. Now, sprinkle some salt and allow it to rest until you see it sweat away the water content. This reduces the chances of you ending up with a “bitter” baba ganouj.
Now place the eggplant halves – skin side up – on a baking tray lined with baking sheet and drizzle some olive oil on the top. Consequently, place in the oven and allow to bake for about 40 minutes or till the eggplant flesh is fully softened.
Finally, allow the baked eggplant halves to cool, and scoop out the flesh. Furthermore, drain any excess liquid. You can allow this to happen by placing the scooped eggplant flesh in a colander for 2-3 minutes.

FOR ROASTING ON GASTOP

Alternately, if you’d like to smoke the eggplant using the stovetop burner like I do, kindly follow this method:
First, place the washed and dried eggplant individually on stovetop burner on a medium flame. Poking tiny holes into the eggplants beforehand with the help of a fork or knife would decidedly fasten the cooking time.
Next, keep rotating the eggplant every 3-5 minutes using a pair of tongs, until it is completely tender and the skin outside looked charred. At this point, remove from the flame and transfer to a clean plate. Now, allow the eggplants to cool completely.
Further on, place a bowl of cold water alongside and proceed to scrape the charred flakes using a spoon or wet fingers. Dip your fingers or the spoon in the water bowl occasionally to make the process faster.
Once done, sprinkle salt on the cleaned eggplant flesh and allow the excess liquid to drain.

BLENDING THE INGREDIENTS

Move the eggplant flesh into the blender jar. Add salt, garlic, tahini, and olive oil. Afterwards, pulse briefly until all the ingredients are properly blended. Avoid over-blending, as this may result in a runny baba ghanoush.
Next, transfer into a bowl, and add in lemon juice and Greek yogurt. Next, whisk well with a spoon. Lastly, add the garnish of your choice. In fact, I sometimes add crumbled feta cheese in place of yogurt to make the dip creamier and tangier. I also top with cumin powder, paprika or cayenne pepper and pomegranate arils to make the dip more delectable.
Pair with your choice of snack and enjoy!

Notes

Using 2 medium ones instead of 1 large eggplant or brinjal will result in better texture and lesser bitterness.
While peeling the skins off the roasted/ grilled eggplants, take some cold water in a deep bowl and dip your hands in the water frequently as you peel the roasted skins.
Salting (whether roasted or pre-roasting) the eggplant helps remove the bitterness to a great extent.
Easy-peasy Tahini at home!!
Begin by roasting 140g or 1 cup of sesame seeds ever so lightly in a stainless steel pan, just so they’re warmed. Now, transfer immediately into a grinder/ blender jar. At this point, the warmed sesame seeds should be very pale golden. Next, add 2 tablespoons of seed oil of your choice (I use sunflower oil), salt to taste and blend away until it is creamy and liquid-like. This should take about 3-4 minutes of blending, excluding the breaks.
Salting the eggplant and draining excess moisture at each step would ensure that our dip is just the right consistency.
If you want a grainier baba ghanouj, skip the blender and mash all the ingredients together with a fork.

Nutrition