In case you’ve been searching for the right baba ganoush recipe, your search ends right here. This common Mediterranean dip is made by mashing eggplant with easy seasonings like lemon juice, tahini and garlic. For my model I’ve amped up the flavors with a couple of easy tweaks.
If you’re all about creamy Mediterranean meze dips like vegan labneh, eggplant hummus and black bean hummus, this savory and creamy baba ganoush recipe will make you fall in love!
It is the right appetizer to serve to your company, and the right snack to cozy up with on the sofa and your favourite TV present. It is also immensely wholesome, as so many Mediterranean recipes are, and it is very simple to make.
What’s baba ganoush?
Baba ganoush or baba ghanouj is a creamy, savory, roasted eggplant dip from Center Japanese delicacies. Variations of it throughout the area, with small variations, are referred to as mutabbal, babaganuş, melitzanosalata, salata de vinete and salat ḥatzilim.
Essentially the most primary model of baba ganoush is made by smashing eggplant, which turns miraculously creamy in texture when roasted, with lemon, garlic, tahini and salt.
Baba ganoush is of course vegan (some variations do embrace yogurt) and it’s the excellent appetizer to scoop up with a wedge of pita bread or a crispy pita chip, or with vegetable crudités.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Easy recipe with daring flavors. Eggplant has great taste of its personal, so you do not want an entire lot of components to decorate it up. In my baba ganoush recipe, along with the lemon, tahini and garlic, I add oregano, paprika and jalapeno pepper for extra smoky taste.
- Simple to make. The one step in a baba ghanouj recipe that may take a little bit of talent is roasting the eggplant over an open flame so it is charred on the skin and completely cooked by. You are able to do this on the fuel range or over a sizzling grill if you wish to, however it requires extra hands-on time and will not be really easy for an inexperienced cook dinner. For my recipe you simply place the halved eggplants in a sizzling oven the place they roast to tender, velvet perfection.
- Meal-prep pleasant. You can also make baba ghanoush as much as six days forward and retailer it within the fridge. You can too freeze it for as much as two months. If the liquid separates a bit after freezing, give it a fast flip within the meals processor to return it to the proper consistency.
- Versatile. Baba ganoush works nice as an appetizer or snack dip, however you may also use it as a variety for sandwiches and wraps, and you’ll serve it as a aspect dish with any essential dish.
- Soy-free, nut-free, gluten-free and vegan. This can be a recipe for all diets, and everybody will find it irresistible too.
Substances
Scroll all the way down to the recipe card for precise portions of every ingredient.
- Italian eggplants or globe eggplants. Eggplants are the star ingredient on this recipe, so you should definitely rigorously decide eggplants with a shiny, purple pores and skin and no brown spots. The eggplant ought to really feel heavy for its measurement once you maintain it in your hand.
- Herbs: garlic, dried oregano and contemporary parsley. Garlic and oregano add a pop of taste, and the contemporary parsley makes for a fantastic garnish.
- Spices: Jalapeno peppers, paprika and sumac (elective). The peppers and paprika add smokiness, and the sumac, a deep pink spice, provides great citrusy taste. You may skip it if you do not have it.
- Lemon. You can too use a lime as a substitute so as to add some beautiful tang.
- Tahini. Tahini, a paste of sesame seeds usually utilized in Mediterranean delicacies, provides great creaminess to this baba ganoush recipe.
How one can make baba ganoush
Put together a baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil after which brushing it with olive oil. Halve every eggplant lengthwise.
Use a pointy knife to attain every eggplant. Do not go all the best way through–the lower must be not more than ½ an inch deep.
Place the eggplant halves on the oiled, foil-lined baking sheet and roast in a preheated 425-degree Fahrenheit/220-degree Celsius oven for 35-40 minutes or till the skins are wrinkly and a knife by the thickest a part of the eggplant goes cleanly by.
Use a spoon to scoop the flesh out of the eggplants. It ought to come out cleanly and needs to be butter-soft.
Place the eggplant flesh within the meals processor together with the remainder of the components. You can too do that in a bowl, with no meals processor. Simply use a fork to mash all components collectively. Roasted eggplant mashes very simply and turns into very creamy.
Course of till pretty clean and creamy however nonetheless considerably textured. You do not need a paste. Garnish with a drizzle of additional virgin olive oil and parsley. You can too prime the baba ganoush with chopped olives, pomegranate seeds, paprika, sumac or za’atar earlier than serving.
Professional suggestions
- In case you resolve to roast the eggplant over an open stovetop flame, preserve the eggplant entire and do not apply any oil. Use a pair of tongs to show the eggplant till the pores and skin has charred on all sides (a course of much like roasting the eggplants for baingan bharta, an Indian mashed eggplant dish). You should definitely preserve your vent fan or hood turned on once you do that. Let the roasted eggplant relaxation a couple of minutes in a coated bowl earlier than reducing in half and scooping out the flesh.
- My pal Margo, an Armenian who was born in Lebanon, gave me this worthwhile tip: she mashes up the skins of the roasted eggplants as effectively for baba ghanoush if the eggplants occur to be younger and contemporary, with tender pores and skin. It is a fantastic thought as a result of eggplant skins include a worthwhile pigment referred to as anthocyanin, with antidiabetic, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and anti-obesity properties. Anthocyanins usually are not current within the white eggplant flesh so when one discards the skins one throws away probably the most nutritious components of the vegetable. In case you solely have bigger eggplants with harder skins, you’ll, sadly, should discard the skins after roasting.
- The oregano provides superb taste, so use it for finest outcomes. You should use dried oregano or contemporary oregano. You can too substitute the oregano with basil or cilantro.
- The jalapenos add a contact of warmth to the baba ganoush, which I like. You may skip them or use extra should you like your meals spicier. You can too substitute with pink pepper flakes. Or use floor black pepper and add some floor cumin for smoky taste.
- Some cooks pressure the liquid out of the eggplant after roasting as a result of this, apparently, will get the bitterness out. I do not do this since you are additionally draining out worthwhile, water-soluble vitamins from the eggplant, and I discover it makes no discernible distinction in style. In case you completely wish to, place the scooped eggplant flesh in a colander or strainer over a bowl for five minutes to let the juices drain out, then add it to the meals processor.
Serving options
- Serve the baba ganouj at room temperature or barely chilled in a mezze platter with pita bread, pita chips, lettuce leaves or vegetable crudites.
- Use it as a variety for sandwiches or wraps.
- Serve it as a aspect dish with a hearty vegetarian steak, like this vegan lentil and quinoa steak.
Storage directions
- Refrigerate: The baba ghanouj will final within the fridge for as much as six days. Retailer in an hermetic container.
- Freeze: Freeze the baba ganoush in a freezer-safe container for as much as two months. Thaw and provides it a fast flip within the meals processor earlier than serving to mix in any juices which will have separated.
Extra scrumptious eggplant recipes
Loved this recipe? Subscribe to my free publication for extra scrumptious recipe updates in your inbox. You can too comply with me on Fb, Pinterest and Instagram to maintain up with what’s cooking at Holy Cow Vegan!
Baba Ganoush Recipe
In case you’ve been searching for the right baba ganoush recipe, your search ends right here. This common Mediterranean dip is made by mashing eggplant with easy seasonings like lemon juice, tahini and garlic. For my model I’ve amped up the flavors with a couple of easy tweaks.
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe
Overview Recipe
Servings: 6 servings
Energy: 94kcal
Forestall your display screen from going darkish
Directions
-
Put together a baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil after which brushing it with olive oil. Preheat the oven to 425 levels Fahrenheit or 220 levels Celsius.
-
Halve every eggplant lengthwise. Use a pointy knife to attain the white floor of every eggplant half. Do not go all the best way through–the lower must be not more than ¼ to ½ an inch deep.
-
Place the scored eggplant halves, white aspect down, on the oiled, foil-lined baking sheet and roast within the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes or till the skins are wrinkly and a knife by the thickest a part of the eggplant goes cleanly by. (See professional suggestions above for roasting the eggplant on an open flame).
-
Use a spoon to scoop the flesh out of the eggplants. It ought to come out cleanly and needs to be butter-soft.
-
Place the eggplant flesh within the meals processor together with the remainder of the components. (See famous under for doing this with no meals processor).
-
Course of the eggplant dip till pretty clean and creamy however nonetheless considerably textured. You do not need a paste. Garnish with a drizzle of additional virgin olive oil and parsley. You can too prime the baba ganoush with chopped olives, pomegranate seeds, paprika, sumac or za’atar earlier than serving.
Recipe notes
- To make the baba ghanouj with no meals processor, place the roasted eggplant in a bowl and mash with a fork. It ought to grow to be creamy very simply. Add the remaining components (you should definitely finely mince the jalapenos and garlic) and blend every little thing collectively.
- In case you resolve to roast the eggplant over an open stovetop flame, preserve the eggplant entire and do not apply any oil. Use a pair of tongs to show the eggplant till the pores and skin has charred on all sides. Maintain the vent fan or hood turned on once you do that. Let the roasted eggplant relaxation a couple of minutes in a coated bowl earlier than reducing in half and scooping out the flesh.
Storage directions
- Refrigerate: The baba ghanouj will final within the fridge for as much as six days. Retailer in an hermetic container.
- Freeze: Freeze the baba ganoush in a freezer-safe container for as much as two months. Thaw and provides it a fast flip within the meals processor earlier than serving to mix in any juices which will have separated.
Vitamin
Energy: 94kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 3g | Fats: 7g | Saturated Fats: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 3g | Monounsaturated Fats: 3g | Sodium: 5mg | Potassium: 237mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 61IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1mg
