Babaganoush babaganoush babaganoush babaganoush. It sounds so fun to say babaganoush. It sounds like someone’s name. Hello, I’m Baba. Baba Ganoush.
Anyway….
Babaganoush is another Middle Eastern dip, like the Hummus I made last week. In fact, I made it almost exactly the same way with the same ingredients as hummus, except instead of chickpeas, babaganoush is made with mashed eggplant (or, aubergine).
The eggplant is typically roasted on a grill to get a nice smoky flavor to it before it is mashed. But I don’t live in a place with a grill. So I roasted this in an oven for 45 minutes.
Babaganoush
Ingredients:
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2 medium sized eggplants
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1 lemon, juiced
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3 Tbsp. tahini
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1 tsp. salt (add more to taste)
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1/4 tsp. pepper
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3 Tbsp. olive oil
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3 cloves of garlic, crushed
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parsley for garnish
*Serve with pita bread, sliced baguette, veggies for dipping
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2) Using a fork, prick the eggplants (like 5 or 6 pricks all around). Place eggplants on baking sheet. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Take out of oven, let rest for 10 minutes. Cut in half and scoop out eggplant flesh with a spoon.
3) In a food processor, or mixing bowl, add eggplant, lemon, tahini, salt, pepper, olive oil and crushed garlic. Mix until well blended. Chill for at least one hour before serving. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with parsley and serve with bread or veggies.
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Please, please prick the eggplants all around with a fork. If you don’t….you may have a huge mess when there’s eggplant guts all over the inside of your oven.
I just noticed that’s the first time I used the word ‘prick’ the way it was meant to be used. Interesting.
Place into the oven and roast for 45 minutes.
45 minutes later….
AAACCCKKK!!! Don’t these things look like wrinkled up prunes now?
I never showed you my oven mitts. Aren’t they cute? I bought them awhile ago actually…at Bed, Bath & Beyond. Chris saw me eyeing them one day…ok, not eyeing them. I played with them in the store, and he got quite embarrassed.
Chris: “You are NOT wasting our gift certificate to buy these oven mitts. They’re too short and completely useless. And they’re embarrassing.”
Me: “So, do you think the monkey looks cuter? Or the frog?”
Chris: *Rolls eyes*
A month later, after he completely forgot the incident I went out and bought them. One of each because I couldn’t decide.
Now I can perform oven mitt puppet shows in my kitchen as much as I want. Of course, my audience looks away and can’t believe he’s married to someone who has this awesome sense of humor. He only wishes he can perform puppet shows like I do.
Froggy likey eggplanty…hehe….
Ok I’m swear I’m done now.
Cut the eggplant in half.
Using a spoon, scoop out the flesh and place in a mixing bowl or food processor.
I know the eggplant flesh looks sooooo gross and stuff. But if you like eggplant this is the price you have to pay.
It does look like a pile of cow lips or intestines or something. But hey, you gotta learn where you vegetables come from someday, right?
“Mommy, where do vegetables come from?”
“The store, honey. The store.”
Mash the eggplants a bit.
Add tahini, salt, pepper, lemon juice, crushed garlic, and olive oil.
Tahini was sold in the international section of my supermarket. It is usually sold in a glass jar like this.
Mix well until blended and creamy.
Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.
Sprinkle with parsley. Serve with pita bread. Unless someone ate all your pita bread, in which case, use anything (er…like Triscuits).
This is one of my fav dips or salads or spreads or however you want to call it.
In Romania they call it eggplant salad and basically has baked / roasted egg plant that is placed in a colander for a few hours so the bitter juices will drain, then chopped really fine with a knife (yes, I know you can also do it differently, but it wouldn’t be as fun)and mixed with chopped onion, some olive oil, salt & pepper and actually some people also add mayonnaise to it.
The HOMEMADE version.
Trust me, it IS WORTH doing it. With MAYO.
Anyway, love yours ! (as always)
Sorry – I forgot to say that there should always be served about 1/2 inch thick on a slice of bread with a nice thick juicy slice of bright red tomato.
Are you hungry for it yet?
This is definitely one of my favorite dips. I’m with you about how gross-looking the insides of cooked eggplant are…so totally worth it though! ;)
Babaganoush is so fun to say! I love hummus but I love this dip just the same. It’s good on just about anything!
The oven mitts…HI-larious! I love middle eastern food.
Catalina – That version sounds delicious. With mayo too ;) I will have to try that. Especially with the sliced tomato on bread.
Faith – It’s worth it in the end once you know what you’ll be getting out of looking at the gross insides :)
Cookie – I agree. I think I like it spread on sliced baguettes more than anything.
Hummingbird – haha!
I am going to attempt at making my own raw tahini paste and see what happens.
I wish my grocery carried a smaller jar of tahini instead of the ginormous can that looks to be from 1978. I’ve never cooked anything with eggplant because it’s a texture my hubby is weird about, but I might try this. He’s a hummus FREAK.
I had deja vu with the in store oven mitt performance because we’ve done the same thing except it was my husband playing with them and me looking at him like he was nuts (cause he is). :o)
Catalina – wow, let me know how it turns out! I wouldn’t even know where to start when making tahini paste…
April – I know what you mean! I had to buy that giant bottle and I was wishing they made smaller ones. What else can I use tahini with after we’re tired of hummus and babaganoush?!
And I do wish I bought the longer oven mitts…they are a little bit short…
This post is TOO cute!
its awesome
Yummo! Just searched for “babaganoush” on foodgawker and ended up here. I added some extra garlic, and it’s so burny and delicious! :)
I know I’m way late to comment ’cause I did a search and found this blog but I hhhaaaadddd to post after reading all the tahini questions! You can totally make your own tahini! Toss some sesame seeds and a splash of sesame or olive oil into a magic bullet or small food processor. Give it a whirl to start. Then open ‘er up and add some water, very little by very little then blend some more. Continue to do this until you reach your desired pasteness is reached. Add some salt if you’re feelin’ it but if you’re adding it to something, you may not need it. Homemade tahini tends to be not as smooth but so delicious ’cause you made it yourself! I wonder if roasting the sesame seeds before would be yummy too? And pardon my lack of measurements, but I never measure, I just guess. I imagine you could make a bigger batch in a bigger food processor.
And! Extra tahini makes DELICIOUS dairy-free, creamy dressing/dip. Blend (or use a whist and mix) your tahini with lots of lemon juice and zest, some salt and pepper, some oil and your favourite herbs (I love dill). I often use tahini with some salt as a spread on sandwiches in place of mayo (I’m vegan). AND! Add it to blended carrot soup! I regularly buy the big jars of tahini and go through them relatively quickly. So good! Haha, I’m clearly a tahini enthusiast!
Thanks for the delicious recipe!
Hmmm I looove babaganoush – so good. And I absolutely adore those oven mitts! haha!