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!

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.

Baba Ghanoush

A classic Mediterranean Middle Eastern Levantine appetizers that showcases the versatility of eggplant in the kitchen. Consists of finely chopped roasted eggplant, olive oil, lemon juice, seasonings, and tahini. The eggplant is traditionally baked or broiled over an open flame before peeling, so that the pulp is soft and has a smoky taste.

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Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine Mediterranean, Middle Eastern

Servings 2 cup

Ingredients

2 big standard eggplants washed and dried
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
Juice from 1 lemon
½ cup Tahini 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

Instructions

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

Notes

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

Keyword eggplant, rustic, tahini, vegetable

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