Baba Ghanouj - Creamy and Easy To Make

Baba Ghanouj - Creamy and Easy To Make

Roast eggplant on the stove-top, BBQ grill, oven or AirFryer. Peel away the charred/burnt skin, chop and fork-mash the cooked eggplant pulp. Whisk Tahini with lemon juice till creamy and fluffy. Stir in mashed eggplant, garlic, sour cream, mint (dried or fresh), chilli paste. Serve with warm pita, crackers, crudites, etc. Enjoy!

5 from 4 votes

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 25

Total Time 35

Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine Lebanese, Middle-Eastern

Servings people

Calories 63 kcal

Equipment

Oven / AirFryer / BBQ Grill preferred for roasting eggplant If not available, OK to use stove-top - see directions for "mess-free" stove-top roasting
Wire-grid for stove-top roasting sturdy stainless steel cooling rack; or use Chapati/Papad-roasting grid
Microwave oven - if using mess-free stove-top roasting method If not available, see Recipe Notes for alternate cooking method in pressure cooker or frying pan (non-stick coated or heavy bottom stainless steel)
Microwave safe glass/ceramic bowl/plate for cooking the partially cooked eggplant after charring it on the stove-top

Ingredients

1 cup Roasted eggplant - fork-mashed - leave a little texture about 1 medium-large eggplant; see different methods for roasting - Oven/AirFryer or stove-top
1 1/2 tbsp Tahini - sesame butter if not available, check Recipe Notes for using Sesame seeds instead
1 tbsp Lime/Lemon juice - freshly squeezed preferred if not available, OK to use bottled juice; adjust to your taste preference regarding tartness
1-2 tbsp Water use as needed to adjust consistency
1/2 tsp Salt adjust as per taste preference
1 tsp Garlic: finely grated/minced or pounded in a mortar and pestle (optional) 1-2 cloves; if not available, OK to use Garlic powder: about 1/8 tsp, add more if you like; OK to omit if you prefer to avoid garlic; also omit if using chilli garlic paste
1 tsp Fresh Red Chilli paste - store-bought or home-made optional Sambal Oelek, if available, is excellent; I've used home-made red chilli paste here; if using chilli-garlic paste, then omit adding fresh garlic
1/4 tsp Black Pepper - freshly crushed preferred
1/2 tsp Dried Mint leaves - optional if using fresh mint - roughly hand-tear 8-10 leaves , save a few leaves for garnish
2 tbsp Sour Cream - optional for Vegan option - use your preferred plant-based Sour Cream

Instructions

Roast the eggplant: See following directions for using Oven, AirFryer or Stove-top

Oven Method:
Wash the eggplant, slice in half lengthwise. Place on parchment lined baking tray, cut side down. Use scissors to trim the parchment close to the eggplant - to minimize risk of paper catching fire while broiling!
Adjust rack position in the oven for broiling - Place tray on the rack and broil on Hi (500F / 260C) for 10-12 min till skin starts to char. Note: the edges of the parchment paper will begin to blacken too.
Lower the rack to the center of the oven and continue to broil for 10 min longer. Turn the oven off - leave the tray in the oven for 5 min.
Flip one piece over to check browning on bottom. Poke with a knife in a few places to ensure it is cooked through.
Transfer to a plate.
Cover for 5-7 minutes to let it "sweat". This traps moisture and prevents the eggplant from drying out too much as it cools; it also makes it easier to scoop out the cooked pulp from the skins.
Make several deep cuts - sideways - in the eggplant halves, but don't cut through the skin on the bottom. This cuts the fibers in the cooked flesh to a shorter length, so that the pulp doesn't look stringy.
Then use a spoon to easily scoop out the soft-cooked pulp.
Mash the pulp a bit - a fork works really well - to break up lumps, so that it mixes in more easily to give a creamy texture to the Baba Ghanouj.
Air Fryer Method
This is very similar to the oven method: you may need to cut the eggplant a little differently so that it fits in your AirFryer basket.
I have cut mine into 3 pieces sideways. Use a parchment liner under the eggplant to prevent it from sticking to the roasting plate. Place the eggplant on the cut side (not on the skin side).
AirFry at 400F for 10 min
It will look lightly browned. Use tongs or sturdy spoon/spatula to flip the pieces over. AirFry at 400 for another 10 min.
Check with a fork to see if it is cooked soft. If it is not soft-cooked, AirFry at 400 for another 5-6 min.
Slice through the center of each piece, vertically through the flesh, and lay flat, skin side down.
Make deep cuts in the flesh without cutting the skin, first in one direction then sideways - see picture.
Scoop out the soft-cooked pulp. Mash with a fork before proceeding with the recipe.
Stove-top- Microwave Method - "Mess-Free"
Place a wire-grid on the stove-top burner. Cut the eggplant in half , lengthwise, then place it on the grid , cut side up. Start grilling it at high heat. The goal is to quickly char the eggplant, without cooking it too much - to prevent the mess created by juices dripping onto the burners.
Use a sturdy pair of tongs to move the pieces around as they cook - about 2-3 min. They will start looking a bit burnt
Flip them over to char the cut side on high heat - again, move them around a little - for 2-3 min.
The cut side should look as shown in the picture. Flip again and continue to cook on high heat. the skin side until it starts to char and split a little - it will take 2-3 min
Transfer to a plate, skin side up - see the charred and split skin in the picture.
Keep a bowl of water nearby, and wet your fingers as you peel away the charred skin; the water will wash off any charred bits sticking to your fingers.
Chop the partially cooked eggplant - it will still be firm and not very soft (although some parts might be soft).
Finish cooking the pieces in the microwave:
( OR See Recipe Notes for alternate cooking methods and detailed directions)
Place in a microwave-safe glass/ceramic plate/bowl, cover and cook in the microwave to finish softening the eggplant. Cook first on Hi for 1 min then at 40% power for 7-8 min. Check to see if the pieces are fully cooked and soft, otherwise continue to cook on 40% power for another 3-4 min (as needed)
Mash the pieces with a fork to ensure they are fully cooked.

Make Baba Ghanouj

Grate or finely mince 1-2 cloves of fresh peeled garlic.
Place Tahini and lemon juice in a medium bowl; use a spoon/fork to whisk together, adding water as needed (1-2 tsp at a time) till mixture is creamy and fluffy.
Note: I find it easier to do this with a spoon or fork than with a wire whisk; much easier to clean too!
See the next few pics to get an idea of how the mixture looks as you whisk it
It is actually quite interesting - almost like 'magic' - to watch how the mixture changes in appearance during this process - at first, rather surprisingly, it becomes quite stiff!
Then, when you add a bit of water and continue to whisk, it starts to become softer and creamier.
Creamy Tahini - it is now ready for you to add everything else.
Add the chopped and lightly mashed eggplant to the creamed Tahini and mix gently.
Add all the seasonings to the eggplant-tahini mixture: sour cream, fresh red chilli paste, black pepper, dried mint (or fresh mint leaves), garlic and salt.
For vegan Baba Ghanouj, use your preferred plant-based sour cream
Stir gently to mix- use a light hand so the creaminess is not lost. Taste test and adjust seasonings to your liking.
Top with a little olive oil, maybe some Sumac, red chilli powder or paprika.... and serve with warm pita.
You can also use it as a sandwich spread for your favorite sandwich, or serve it alongside crackers, crudites, etc. This would be a great addition to your charcuterie board too!
Enjoy!

Notes

No Microwave available?

Using the "No-Mess Stovetop Roasting" method, but don't have a microwave? No worries..You can finish cooking the partially cooked eggplant by one of the following methods:

Pressure-cooker:
- Place partially cooked eggplant pieces in a small stainless steel bowl;
- Prepare the pressure cooker for pot-in-pot cooking /pressure steaming,
  - Place a trivet/rack in the pressure cooker pot
  - Add 1-2 cups water - the water should not come above the trivet
- Place the bowl on the trivet in the cooker
- Close the lid and pressure cook for 3-4 min at full pressure.
- Allow natural pressure release
- Remove the bowl from the cooker, mash the cooked pulp with a fork
- Continue with main recipe directions
Frying pan on the stove-top:
- Use a non-stick coated or heavy-bottom stainless steel pan
- Add 1/2 cup water to the pan and bring to a boil
- Spread the partially cooked eggplant pieces over the water
- Do NOT stir!
- Cover and cook on hi for 30 seconds, then decrease heat to low, cook for 8-10 min.
  - Remove cover after 3-4 min
  - insert a small spatula under the eggplant to check for sticking /burning
  - Splash 2-3 tbsp water, replace cover and continue to cook until eggplant is soft-cooked
  - Mash with a fork
- Continue with main recipe directions

No Tahini available? Use Sesame Seeds instead:

Lightly roast 1 tbsp white sesame seeds (hulled) on a heated skillet for 1-2 min till he seeds start to pop. Do not over-roast - it will give a burnt taste to the dip. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool completely.
- Brown sesame seeds OK too; do not use black sesame seed
In a small coffee/spice grinder, pulse-grind the roasted and cooled sesame seeds to a coarse powder.
- if the seeds are warm, they tend to release oil while grinding, which makes it become a bit sticky and everything sticks to the grinder jar.
- When this happens, add 1 -2 tbsp water, mix well with a spoon and continue to grind till you get a fluffy paste. Transfer to the bowl in which you're going make the dip.
- Stir in 1 tbsp lime/lemon juice till smooth.
Now you can start following the main Recipe directions, using this thick sesame paste instead of the creamy Tahini

Storing Leftover Baba Ghanouj

Store leftover Baba Ghanouj in lidded glass/ceramic container. I do not recommend storing in plastic containers.

In Refrigerator:

Use within 2-3 days.

Top with fresh olive oil and other garnish

In freezer:

I don't particularly like to store this in the freezer, but you can. I'd recommend using it within 4-6 weeks.

Be aware that freezing will affect the texture of the dip - it will not be quite as fluffy (as before) when you thaw the frozen Baba Ghanouj.
Do let it thaw completely before serving -
- Do not try to speed up the thawing by putting it in the microwave on defrost power !
- Mix well before serving
Top with fresh olive oil and other garnish before serving

Nutrition

Calories: 63kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 2gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 323mgPotassium: 185mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 65IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 23mgIron: 0.5mg

Keyword Air Fryer roasting, Cold Dip, creamy dip, dip for pita, Eggplant, Eggplant dip, Lebanese dip, Roasted eggplant, Tahini

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