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.
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