Baba Ghanoush
Roasted Eggplant Salad with Tahini and herbs; a classic Mediterranean salad using grilling as the method to emphasize the earthy flavor of the eggplant. A favorite at Palette Dome Cuisine!
Ingredients:
- 2 big standard eggplants, washed and dried
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- Juice from 1 lemon
- ½ cup Tahini
Tahini is a thick paste of ground sesame seeds; it can be found in natural and organic markets, specialty stores and occasionally big supermarkets - ½ cup finely chopped mint, leafs only
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Preparation:
- Heat the oven for high broil; if looking for a smokier flavor, heat the grill, preferably a charcoal one, to 450° Fahrenheit
- Pierce the eggplants’ skin with a small fork in several places and place on a lined cookie sheet or directly on the BBQ’s grate
Leaving the skin intact will create a bit of a mess when the eggplant “explodes”… - Broil \ Grill for up to 30 minutes, until eggplant meat is soft. Rotate once after 15 minutes
- Scoop the eggplant flesh from the charred skin, and place in a colander, allowing the roasted eggplant to rest for several minutes and lose all excess liquids
- In a big bowl mix roasted eggplant, garlic, Tahini, lemon juice, herbs and spicing
I like the texture to be bit rustic so I mash the eggplant with a fork, to avoid over mashing it
Here in Palette Dome Cuisine we serve Baba Ghanoush as a dip with herbs garnish, drizzled with olive oil alongside pita, pita chips, crackers and crisp cut vegetables for an appetizer, or as a salad with grilled or cooked meat or chicken. A classic addition to the table alongside hummus, roasted peppers and dark Syrian or Kalamata olives.
Variations
- If you would like the salad to be a bit more creamy, add cold water, one scoop at a time, till desired consistency is reached
- For the herbs use mint, parsley, cilantro, oregano or any other mix you like; the classic recipe calls for parsley and mint, but any mix you like will do: experiment!
- Try replacing some or all of the Tahini with a good Greek yogurt for a lighter flavor
- Add some cumin for the flavoring: this is especially good when the salad is to be used as a side for grilled meat
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