Baba ganoush (also spelled baba ghanouj or baba ghanoush) is a delicious dip from the Middle East and Mediterranean. It’s made with roasted or charred eggplant, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, and spices. My family’s baba ganoush recipe is similar to our hummus recipe, but the base is smoky roasted eggplant instead of chickpeas, which gives baba ganoush its smoky flavor and texture. It’s absolutely delicious, especially with homemade pita bread.
Key Ingredients
Eggplant: When shopping for eggplant, look for smooth, shiny skin and feel heavy for its size. It should also feel slightly firm, not really hard or very soft, and the stem end should be green and free of mold. I like medium eggplants for this recipe and use two of them. If you love eggplant dishes, you will also enjoy this easy roasted eggplant. Tahini: Tahini is a paste made from sesame seeds with a consistency similar to almond or peanut butter. I also use it to make our red pepper hummus, tahini salad dressing, and my favorite tahini sauce. You can buy it at the store or make your own. Here’s my tahini recipe. Lemon: Skip the bottled stuff! Fresh lemon juice makes all the difference in this recipe. Garlic: I love garlic in baba ganoush; it works nicely against the creamy, smoky roasted eggplant. I use three cloves but feel free to hold back a clove or two if that’s too much for you. Spices and Olive Oil: I add ground cumin, salt, and fresh parsley to my baba ganoush and love it. A drizzle of olive oil is a nice touch, too!
How to Make the Best Baba Ganoush
For that authentic baba ganoush flavor, char the eggplant skins. I broil the whole eggplants, but you can do this on the grill or over a gas burner. It only takes a few minutes. Then, I roast my eggplants until they’re super soft. You’ll know they’re done when the eggplants collapse in on themselves, and a fork easily pierces through the flesh. Once my eggplants have roasted, I scoop out the soft flesh with a spoon and mash it into the other baba ganoush ingredients with a fork. I like some texture in my baba ganoush, so I don’t bother with a food processor. You can serve the baba ganoush right away or refrigerate for up to 5 days. It actually improves in flavor over time, making this an incredible make-ahead meze (or appetizer). Serve it with our quick flatbread, homemade pita bread, veggies, or pita chips (see how to make them below the recipe). 1/4 cup (60ml) tahini, try our homemade tahini recipe 1/4 cup (60ml) lemon juice 2 to 3 garlic cloves, finely minced 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves 1 teaspoon olive oil, optional 2Place the eggplants on the baking sheet and prick them in several places using a fork (this helps steam escape while the eggplants roast). 3Broil eggplants for 2 minutes on all sides. The skin will darken a little and begin to smell smoky, adding flavor to the dip. 4Turn the broiler off, but do not remove the eggplants from the oven. 5Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Roast the eggplants until very soft, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool them for 10 to 15 minutes or until you can easily handle them. 6While the eggplants roast, combine the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside so the flavors meld. 7Split the roasted eggplants, drain excess liquid, scrape out the flesh, and add to the tahini mixture. (Discard excess liquid and skins). 8Mash the roasted eggplant into the tahini mixture with a fork until somewhat smooth, with some texture remaining. 9Cool to room temperature, stir in parsley, and drizzle the top with olive oil.
