Smokey Baba Ganoush is a wonderfully rich and creamy Middle Eastern eggplant dip that might just give hummus a run for its money!
Like its cousin, hummus, baba ganoush is a very simple but irresistible Middle Eastern dip, only instead of chickpeas, you mash charred and roasted eggplant along with lemon, salt, tahini, olive oil and variable other herbs and spices.
If you love hummus, this is a really nice way to change it up every now and then. A friend made it for me last week and a little light went off in my head…it’s so delicious and yet it totally dropped off my radar many years back. I’m so glad to have rediscovered it.
These Sicilian eggplant are from the farmer’s market. They’re a little sweeter than the dark purple variety, but any kind is fine for baba ganoush. Since you are going to roast them and scrape out the flesh, the larger, rounder eggplant will be easiest to work with.
The defining feature of baba ganoush is the charred eggplant. If you have a gas stove top you can hold the eggplant directly over the fire until the skin blisters and blackens. You could also do this with a kitchen torch or by putting them under the broiler.
You can skip this step and just roast the eggplant in the oven, but the initial blackening subtly flavors the inner flesh with a delicious smokiness. I use this technique with stuffed peppers and it really does make a difference.
When they come out of the oven they’ll look like hell, but don’t worry. It gets better.
All you need to do is cut them in half and scoop out the soft insides. Put the flesh in a food processor and leave the burnt skin behind. Much like a hummus, it’s going to bet blended with tahini, lemon, garlic and salt. From there you have the option of adding fresh herbs like parsley or cilantro, or seasonings like cumin. Taking my cue from David Lebovitz, I bumped up the smokey factor with smoked salt and smoked hot paprika. At the end I sprinkled on some sumac, which is a Middle Eastern spice with a tangy, lemon flavor, and some herbs de Provence. This is a gorgeous dip.
Serve your baba ganoush with some homemade pita bread, or homemade laffa bread, and plenty of olives.
Ingredients
- 2 small to medium eggplant
- 1 large clove garlic
- 1 tsp smoked sea salt (or regular salt)
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 3 Tbsp tahini
- 1/2 tsp hot smoked paprika (substitute sweet paprika if you don't want heat)
- olive oil
- fresh parsley
- sumac (or more paprika)
- herbes de Provence
Instructions
- set oven to 400F
- Poke the skin of the eggplant several times with a fork. Set the eggplants over an open flame to char the skin on all sides. You can do this over a gas flame on the stove top, with a kitchen torch, or under the broiler. Turn the eggplant to evenly blacken the skin. (You can skip this step if you want to.)
- Put the eggplant on a foil lined baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes, or until a sharp paring knife pierces the flesh easily.
- Let cool briefly, and then cut in half. Scoop out the flesh and put in the bowl of a food processor. Leave the blackened skin behind.
- Smash the garlic clove and mince it. Add the salt to the garlic and mash it with the back of the knife until it becomes a paste. Put the paste in the processor with the eggplant.
- Add the lemon juice, tahini, and paprika and pulse until the mixture is pureed but still has some texture.
- Taste the baba ganoush and adjust the seasonings if you need to. You may want to add a ittle more salt, lemon, or paprika.
- Chill until ready to eat, the baba ganoush will improve with a little time in the fridge.
- When ready to serve, spread in a bowl and even out the top so it can hold a swirl of oil. Drizzle on the oil, then sprinkle on sumac, herbes, and parsley. Serve with pita, naan, or other flat bread.
Notes
You could also garnish the baba ganoush with toasted pine nuts and a drizzle of pomegranate molasses.
24 Comments
53 Best Vegan Dips and Sauces
December 27, 2018 at 8:03 am[…] Smoky Baba Ganoush by the View from Great Island […]
Sarah
January 16, 2018 at 1:30 pmThis is a delicious recipe! I used a milder-type, graffiti eggplant, and after broiling it a bit in the oven and a few minutes roasting, I included the skin in the recipe, too. The skin is thinner and soft and adds a wonderful texture and taste. Because it is a smaller eggplant, it didn’t require much cooking after broiling. I also made a paste of the salt and garlic using a mortar and pestle-just a tip. Thanks for the wonderful recipe.
Sue
January 16, 2018 at 2:10 pmSounds great Sarah ~ I’m not sure I’ve seen grafitti eggplants, I’m going to have to look them up!
robin
August 24, 2014 at 4:15 pmamazing, this recipe reminds me of why I fell in love with this dish ! :) just made it and I’m having flashbacks to my first bite, thank you!
Sue
August 24, 2014 at 4:22 pmThanks Robin — this dip is one of those sleeper recipes, it doesn’t look like much at first glace, but I agree with you, it’s so memorable.
Cheryl
February 9, 2014 at 10:15 amI made this last night and my fiancé declared it was better than hummus! I had to add a fair amount of salt and a bit more lemon juice, but what a rich, delightful dip made from such simple ingredients! Most babas I’ve researched require dairy, which doesn’t even make sense to me when it’s SO unnecessary–clearly! Thank you for a lovely recipe :) We’ll be making this again and again and I’ll no doubt be photographing and sharing it on my blog.. Hope to link back soon!
Cheryl
Sue
February 9, 2014 at 10:48 amSo glad you liked it, Cheryl. I tend to fall back on hummus so often, so I like having this recipe as an easy alternative. I’m looking forward to your post!
Rachel
December 21, 2013 at 6:50 pmAre you supposed to remove the seeds? Mine turned out a really awful brown color…not as appetizing as yours.
Sue
December 22, 2013 at 8:00 amNo, I didn’t remove the seeds, Rachel, and I’ve seen baba ganoush darker than mine before, for sure. Was the flavor good, because I think the color can vary from light to darker brown.
Rachel
December 22, 2013 at 3:21 pmThe flavor was decent, I’ll probably try again with smaller egg plants. I think it was just that my eggplant was big and likely a little bland.
Samantha Drennan
August 15, 2017 at 3:17 pmYES My baba always turns out dark brown, never nice and pale like the pictures I see on the internet. Tastes fine, looks ugly. Any ideas???
Cat
October 10, 2013 at 8:03 pmThis looks absolutely delicious. I will definitely be trying this recipe!
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef
September 2, 2013 at 4:54 amI’m in love. This baba ganoush looks amazing and I want some right this minute! Off to start the bbq.
Julia@ Vikalinka
September 2, 2013 at 2:38 amStunning photography! I just recently started using a gas stove again after years of the electric stove top and what an incredible difference it makes, so much more control of the heat! I will definitely try charring eggplants the way you did, looks like fun. Is there a lot of mess to clean up afterwards?
Sue
September 2, 2013 at 5:54 pmNo mess at all! I would line the baking sheet with foil, but otherwise it’s a clean operation!
Denise @ magnoliaverandah
September 1, 2013 at 9:59 pmHow nice is it when someone else tempts the tastebuds? What a reawakening. Love it inspired to do the same.
Gerlinde in Dallas
September 1, 2013 at 11:57 amYour baba ganoush looks so delicious; beautiful photos! I have a gas stove top and hadn’t considered using the flames to char stuff. I will have to give that a try!
shannon
September 1, 2013 at 5:03 amyum! and we have so many eggplants right now in the markets that’s it’s hard NOT to think about baba ganoush, which is one of my favorite dip-type things. delicious.
Abbe@This is How I Cook
August 31, 2013 at 8:06 pmLove baba ganoush. I have made this for over thirty years ever since I became friends with an Israeli family in college. I grill my eggplant directly on the grill. Great recipe!
Mary
August 31, 2013 at 6:21 pmI really could live on mezze foods like this – so full of flavor, healthy and delicious – love this – I’m off to check out your lemony hummus now!
Mary x
Stephanie
August 31, 2013 at 5:12 amI seriously could eat daily from your blog. I love baba ganoush. Thanks so much. I have a wonderful spice shop I’ll be near in the next couple of weeks so I’m going to pick up sumac. I’ve never used it. Your photos are always gorgeous and make the food even tastier looking.
Sue
August 31, 2013 at 7:02 amThanks so much, Stephanie — you’ll love having the sumac around, it’s a beautiful russet color and has an unusual tart flavor.
bellini
August 31, 2013 at 4:59 amI just had a revelation at this hour of the morning that I have Saturday off of work for the long weekend. I can actually head to the farmers market where eggplant are in my future.
Sue
August 31, 2013 at 7:10 amSounds like a plan! The end of summer produce is always the best, too.