Roasted Eggplant Dip - Baba Ganoush Recipe

Hand dipping pita bread into baba ganoush eggplant dip.

5 from 1 vote

Roasted Eggplant Dip - Baba Ganoush Recipe

A simple baba ganoush recipe is easy to make and is a versatile dish for many occasions. It's so much more than just an appetiser. The deliciously smokey eggplant dip travels well and compliments so many picnic menu ideas. Whether grilled or roasted, baba ganoush is one of the best picnic dips.

Prep Time10

Cook Time40

Chill Time20

Total Time1 10

Course: Picnic Food

Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Servings: ½ cup

Calories: 452kcal

Author: Kate O'Malley

Equipment

Ingredients

2 large eggplants
2 tsp ground cumin
1 garlic clove
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
¼ cup tahini sauce

Suggested Garnishes

A sprinkle of sweet or smoked paprika chilli, or cayenne pepper if you like a little heat.
Sesame seeds
Crushed pistachio nuts or toasted pine nuts
Chopped cilantro or parsley
Pomegranate seeds make a lovely colour splash and add a touch of tart sweetness.
Whole olives and fresh herbs
Finish with a drizzle of olive oil.

Instructions

The Roasted Eggplant Version (Grill Instructions Below)
Preheat the oven to 425F | 220℃. Place the eggplants on a baking tray and poke them with a fork several times.
Bake for 40-50 minutes until the skin is wrinkled and the inside is tender.
Let the eggplant cool to room temperature – around 20 minutes. Cut them lengthwise and scoop the flesh out with a spoon or a knife.
When the eggplant is cool enough to handle, scoop the flesh out and transfer to a colander or sieve to allow excess moisture to drain.
Place the aubergine flesh in a bowl or food processor and add the tahini, garlic, lemon juice, cumin, parsley.
Either quickly blitz the ingredients in the food processor or with a stick blender or mash with a fork (roughly chop the flesh first if choosing to mash). Do not over-process the ingredients if using a blender; it can make the dip runny.
Adjust seasonings to taste
Place the baba ganoush covered in the refrigerator to cool, thicken, and allow the flavours to develop further.
Just before serving, sprinkle with your preferred garnish and a drizzle of olive oil.

Notes

To Grill Eggplant Instead of Roasting:

Eggplant can be grilled either slow-cooked over coals to achieve maximum smokiness or use an outdoor gas grill or gas stovetop.

Skip steps 1 & 2 of the recipe.
If using coals, wait until coals are hot and the flame died down. If using gas, have the burner on high.
Turn the whole aubergine over the flame or coals with tongs until the skin is charred and flaky and the centre soft. The eggplant will look like it has deflated when it is ready.
Continue on with the recipe from step 3.

Add Smokey Flavour When Grilling on Gas BBQ

For some extra smokey flavour when grilling eggplant on gas, place about half a cup of wood chips such as apple or mesquite into foil and fold into a packet. Place a small hole in the top of the packet for smoke to escape and place on the grill next to the eggplant with the bbq lid closed.

Don't Over Season

Add tahini, garlic, lemon juice, cumin, and parsley incrementally to taste and to achieve the right consistency. As every eggplant will be a different size, you can quickly overwhelm the smoky eggplant flavours especially with tahini, garlic and lemon. Too much liquid can also make your baba ganoush runny.

Using Roasted Garlic over Fresh

Using roasted garlic over fresh will add a deeper flavour to the end dish that fresh garlic cannot.

Roast either a whole garlic head or a few large garlic cloves in their skin in the oven until soft. This can be done at the same time as the eggplants if using the roasting option.
When it is time to add the garlic to the baba ganoush, simply squeeze 1 or 2 garlic cloves into the dish before mixing discarding the skins.

For Thicker Consistency

Rough chopping the flesh and then mashing will produce a thicker consistency than using a food processer. Be mindful if using a food processor not to over blend as it can make your dip too runny.

Nutrition