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Easy Few Ingredient Baba Ganoush

By The Modern Nonna

on Aug 24, 2022, Updated Dec 27, 2022

4.67 from 3 votes

Baba ghanoush, also spelled baba ganoush or baba ghanouj is a delicious Levantine appetizer consisting of finely chopped roasted eggplant, olive oil, lemon juice, various seasonings, and tahini. The name comes from the Arabic phrase baba gannuj, in which baba can mean dad and gannuj can mean pampered or spoiled. This “spoiled dad” dip is the creamier companion to hummus. You don’t need any equipment to make it, just love. The eggplant is traditionally broiled over an open flame before peeling, so that the pulp is soft and has smoky taste. Since many of us don’t have the ability to do so, the oven method works beautifully. In Bulgaria, we are known for our spreads as well. We have a very similar dip which we call “Kyopolou”. It consists of eggplant and roasted bell peppers, I will absolutely be sharing a recipe as it’s just as delicious as this one. If you love making baba ghanouj please let me know in the comments what you do differently as I love to learn from you all.

Easy Few Ingredient Baba Ganoush

This “spoiled dad” dip is the creamier companion to hummus. You don’t need any equipment to make it, just love. The eggplant is traditionally broiled over an open flame before peeling, so that the pulp is soft and has smoky taste.

4.67 from 3 votes

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Servings: 2

Author: The Modern Nonna

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Ingredients 

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Baking the Eggplant:

• ▢ 3 lbs eggplant cut in half, I used 3 medium Italian eggplants
• ▢ salt + drizzle of olive oil on each one

The Spread:

• ▢ ¼ cup tahini, use mayo if you are allergic to sesame seeds
• ▢ 2 cloves of minced garlic, measure with your heart
• ▢ 1 tablespoon lemon juice, to taste
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil, based on consistency
• ▢ salt to taste for the spread
• ▢ 1-2 tablespoons of fresh and finely chopped parsley

Instructions 

• Wash and pat dry the eggplant. Take a knife and cut each one in half. Take each half off the eggplant, place it horizontally facing you, and score the inside of the eggplant making lengthwise cuts all the way to the end, followed by diagonal cuts with a knife. You should have a diamond or a square pattern.
• Line a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and oil it with a drizzle of olive oil. Drizzle on a bit more olive oil on the eggplant with a sprinkle of salt each one.
• Play them flat side down and bake in a preheated 400°F oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until the bottoms are caramelized and the tops are soft. You should be able to insert a knife into the skin easily.
• Let them cool a bit, and with a spoon, scoop out the flesh into a bowl. Please take a look at my notes as you may need to strain the eggplant flesh and discard the water.
• Once you have scooped it into a bowl, take a fork and mash or break it up into your desired consistency. Add the rest of the ingredients as you stir in between each ingredient.
• I added the tahini and stirred. Added the garlic, and stirred. Added the lemon juice, and stirred. Now add the olive oil a little at a time and stir until the spread is light in colour. Last but not least, taste and adjust for salt, and stir in the parsley. Enjoy

Video

Notes

Cumin is traditional but optional for those who do not prefer it such as myself. I love this spread with pita, on toast in the morning topped with a fresh tomato, with my eggs, or even add it into Mediterranean bowls.

You are more than welcome to use a food processor for a creamy dip, but I prefer one with more texture. Now I did not drain the water from my eggplant after it was baked as I didn’t notice any moisture at all, but I recommend it if you do.

You would simply scoop out the eggplant flesh, put it in a strainer over a bowl, and let the water drain into the bowl. You can absolutely do this step if you find that you have a more watery eggplant or dip.

Feel free to measure everything with your heart and make sure to taste and adjust. How much lemon you like will be up to you. If you are allergic to tahini you can use some mayo or sour-cream instead.

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