Baba ghannouj - Eggplant dip

 

Baba ghannouj is by far one of my favorite dips. It is a delicious blend of eggplants, garlic, and tahini. It has a smooth, creamy texture, and a slightly smoked taste. The popular method is for the eggplant to be baked or broiled over an open flame before peeling, so that the pulp is soft and has a smoky taste which brings a nice depth of flavors.  

Eggplant and tahini dip is called 'baba ghanouj' all over Lebanon, and as soon as you cross the border into Syria it's called 'moutabal'. In Syria and other parts of the Levant, baba ghanouj is something of a salad. It includes chunks of grilled eggplant, diced onion, tomatoes and other seasonal vegetables. The ingredients are tossed together with a pomegranate vinaigrette.

You'll see here, baba ghannouj is not a complicated recipe, plus it keeps well in the refrigerator, which gives you an excuse to make a big batch and eat it for days.

Ingredients: 
2 medium eggplants 
1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste) 
2 tbsp lemon juice 
2 garlic cloves peeled and smashed 
1 tsp salt 
1 tbsp olive oil 
chopped parsley for garnish

Prick the eggplant skin with a fork and grill it in a preheated oven at 400ºF (200ºC) for about one hour or until the eggplant is cooked. Let the eggplants cool briefly. 
Split the eggplant and scrape out the pulp. Puree the pulp in a blender or food processor with the other ingredients until smooth. Taste and season with additional salt and lemon juice, if necessary. Chill a few hours before serving.

Baba ghannouj - Caviar d'aubergines

Ingrédients: 
2 aubergines de taille moyenne 
1/4 tasse tahini (crème de sésame) 
2 càs de jus de citron 
2 gousses d'ail écrasées 
1 càc de sel 
1 càs d'huile d'olive 
persil haché pour la décoration

Piquez l'aubergine à plusieurs reprises avec une fourchette et faites-la griller au four préchauffé à 200°C pendant une heure ou jusqu'à ce que l'aubergine soit cuite. Laissez-la refroidir un peu. Pelez-la puis mettez les morceaux d'aubergine avec le reste des ingrédients dans un bol mixeur pour les réduire en une purée lisse et homogène.
Assaisonnez de sel ou de jus de citron, si nécessaire. Laissez au frigo quelques heurs avant de servir.