Roasted Eggplant and Tahini Dip (a.k.a baba ganoush)
Borrowing from middle eastern cuisine, this dip or spread is good to have on hand for ourselves or for company. I have friends who love it and I try to make it when they visit.
You can serve it with a variety of breads, anything from a baguette to pita wedges, but I like making a flatbread and serve it warm with the eggplant dip. I have a number of flatbread recipes on the blog, links below.
If you can roast the eggplant over a flame you get a great charred flavour but it’s too messy to do over the stove top gas flame and too cold to go outside and use the grill so I roasted them in oven on a baking sheet at 425F and was happy with the result. You have to let it roast long enough so the skin chars and the eggplant collapses on itself. Make a couple of slashes with a sharp knife on the top to allow steam to escape.
When the eggplant is ready I scrape the flesh off with a wooden spoon into a glass bowl. The eggplant exudes juices as it roasts and they can be bitter. You can place the roasted flesh in a sieve over a bowl and let it drain for 20 minutes before proceeding. Some people like that bitter, smoky flavour so decide for yourself if to drain it or not.
Once the eggplant is ready I make a little tahini sauce with lemon juice, garlic and water and mix it with the eggplant. Salt and pepper to taste and it’s done.
Roasted Eggplant and Tahini Dip (a.k.a baba ganoush)
6-8
servings30
minutes45
minutesna
kcalIngredients
2 medium eggplants
1/2 cup tahini paste
Juice of 1/2 a lemon, more as needed
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1/2 cup water or as needed to make the tahini creamy as thick whipping cream
Salt and pepper
Chopped parsley for garnish
Paprika for dusting over
Olive oil for drizzling over
Directions
- Clean the eggplant, place on a baking sheet and make a coupe of slashes with a knife on the top to allow steam to escape
- Roast in a preheated 425F oven for 30-45 minutes or until the skin is charred and the eggplant collapses.
- Remove from the oven and let cool, then slice it open and scrape the flesh into a bowl.
- Cut the flesh roughly with a knife and place in a sieve over the bowl to allow for the bitter liquid to run out, about 15-20 minutes.
- While eggplant is draining, or while it is in the oven, make the tahini sauce. Place the tahini paste in a bowl, add lemon juice, a little salt and a finely minced garlic. Mix with a fork or a whisk adding just enough water to make a creamy sauce, the consistency of a very thick cream. The amount of water depends on how moist is your tahini.
- When the eggplant has drained add it to the tahini and mix to combine.
- Taste and add lemon juice, salt and pepper as needed. If you like more garlic add another clove.
- Add a handful of chopped parsley, saving some to garnish the top.
- Place in a bowl and with the back of a spoon make a trench around, to catch the olive oil, then drizzle a little olive oil over.
- Dust with paprika and serve with good bread.
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