Baba Ghanoush Recipe

I love this recipe, but I roasted my eggplant the way my Greek mother-in-law showed me...I place the whole eggplant, skin and all on the stove burner and charred each side over medium-high heat until it is soft and black all over. Then, i wrap it tightly in foil and placed in on the burner at low heat for about 30 min, turning once. By this time it should be very soft. Let it sit until it cools enough to handle and unwrap the foil over a bowl to collect all of the juices that leak (the juices add so much flavor) and carefully remove the blackened outer skin and discard that. Then you are left with a perfectly smoky eggplant pulp to add to the other ingredients. I keep the seeds in it and don't have any complaints of bitterness.

I too made this and it turned out great however I too found a lack of quantity a problem. The size of the eggplant and garlic cloves are arbitrary. I had 2 eggplants and I could see the other ingredients would be too much so I adjusted by taste. I did roast the eggplant on the gas range like another viewer suggested and would recommend it. I made it a second time and measured. 3 medium eggplants weighing 1073 grams (38 oz) in the store netted 398 grams (13.85 oz) of cooked eggplant flesh without the chard skin. I then seasoned to taste. I cut the sesame seeds to 1.5 TBSP, Tahini 1/8 to 3/16 cup. I used 1/4 to 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice and just shy of 1 TBSP of garlic pulverized with salt in a mortar. Also the blender or food processor purred it so instead I cut the eggplant up and mashed it with a fork. This improved the texture. I topped it all off with 1.5 TBSP olive oil partially mixed in and garnished with fresh parsley. This made about 2 cups. At first you taste the roasted eggplant with a hint of Tahini, then you get the slightest sense of garlic followed by the lemon juice, perfect! I hope by giving someone quantities for the eggplant and garlic you will have a better idea on quantity. I suggest adding the Tahini, garlic and lemon juice slowly to your tastes. Don't roast the garlic it should be raw, just be careful how much you use. Make sure to get Tahini and not Trader Joe's Tahini sauce because it is already seasoned. I had no problem with the seeds and bit

I followed half of "TYEBUG"'s instructions, charring in on my gar burners, but when i wrapped it in foil, i finished it in the BROILER... want to try it on the grill, but it's been too hot out! Also, i roasted a whole head of garlic, added that in it, and used one (not 2) clove of fresh garlic.. And instead of S&P to taste, I Adobo to taste, but thats just how I season at my house! Also I use whatever eggplant i can get my hands on, and at the garden i've got Japanese eggplant (long skinny) and Black beauty (short squatty), With either variety, at least the size in my garden, I need 3 or 4 eggplant per batch... Most recently I made a double batch With 9 Japanese Eggplant... (Had to figure out how to use it and fast! I have more on the plants still growing!) came out really good! But with store bought, i'd stick to one big one.

I made mine with 2 eggplants and I poked holes all over it with a skewer then sliced them down the middle sprayed each half with olive oil and salt put them face down on cookie sheet and baked them @ 375 for 1 hour. When done cool down add 1 1/2 lemons juiced. pulp of eggplant,1/8 tsp cumin,6 cloves of crushed garlic or powered garlic( 2 tsp).8 tlbs tahini paste. 1/4 c olive oil put in blender and blend 10 min. Put in bowl add chopped parsley.

This recipe is easy and delicious. I did it exactly as posted here, however I'm sure that roasting the eggplant differently could add more flavour (like on a charcoal grill, aw yeah). This recipe was simple and worked great. As a side note, to people who find this recipe expensive - tahini is very simple to make! You can spend anywhere from $6-$12 on a jar, or you can spend $2 on a bag of sesame seeds; as long as you have olive oil, an oven and a food processor, you're good to go. Spread hulled sesame seeds out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake them for about 6 minutes, then take them out and mix them around a bit. Put them back in the oven for another 6 or so minutes. You'll know they're done because they turn a golden brown colour and they are nicely fragrant. Transfer them off the baking sheet (easily done with the parchment paper) into your food processor bowl - sesame seeds are super easy to burn, so you want to avoid continuing to cook them by leaving them on the hot pan. At this point, I turn on the food processor for a bit and break them down, then it's a matter of adding olive oil until you hit the consistency you like. I let mine get a little soupy, but still thick. Salt/pepper to taste. Voila - tahini. It'll keep in the fridge for about a month and if it does go bad before then, trust me you'll know. It'll smell rancid. Also, you can use it for all kinds of recipes - not just baba and hummus, there are so many on this site - check it out!

Perfect! The only thing I changed is I made my own tahini rather than paying the price to buy it. (toast 2c sesame seeds on a baking sheet at 400 degrees for 4-5 minutes. DO NOT brown. When time is up, remove from oven and put them into a food processor or VitaMix with 1/4c canola or other MILD vegetable oil. If you want the paste, stop here. Store in fridge up to 3 months or freeze up to 6 months. If you want the tahini sauce, measure out 1/2 c paste, add 1 clove garlic and salt to taste. Blend till smooth. If it is too thick you can add water, a tablespoon at a time until it is the right consistency. If you are making this recipe, do not add lemon but for most recipes I add additional lemon juice to the tahini. After it is smooth you can store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or serve immediately.

the recipe you gave is good, but we as Lebanese we do it on a weekly basis, i do it on direct fire in a roasting pan without any oil nor spraying oil, your pan will tan but keep one only for Baba Ghanouj(the name means daddy is kind of cuddly) we squeeze the eggplant after cooking by hand, this way it doesn't have to sit for a long time. We do not put any sesame seeds since the Tahini is sesame cream itself. we usually eat it to accompany any barbecue meat!! Enjoy our Lebanese Traditions!

I will make this again! ...but only because I added curry powder and just a bit of cayenne . I never did end up adding the olive oil either, it was a great consistency with out it. I made this in my mini food processor on the 'chop' setting and it was supper easy. I think you have to use a good tahini... I like the classic by the Mighty Sesame company, purchased thru Amazon...

Excellent! Made it per the recipe except I sliced the eggplant in half, brushed each half with olive oil and salt, and grilled it because it was 90 out and didn't want to heat up the house. The grilled smokey flavor was wonderful. Next time I will take the trouble to roast a bulb of garlic too. That will remove the bite from the raw garlic and make this dish superb.

Great recipe except for one thing - ROAST the garlic instead of adding raw minced garlic, which can completely overpower the eggplant. Roast the garlic along with the eggplant. The roasted garlic will be milder and sweeter, so you can add more - I add about 5-7 cloves of the roasted garlic. I also add chopped parsley to the dip for more color and flavor. Use a hand-held immersion blender if you have one. This dip taste best after it sits overnight for the flavors to meld and will keep for a good 3 days. Serve with pita chip!

This was easy as can be. Very important to poke your eggplants. I used about 1/2 the lemon juice. Came out perfect. I also used an immersion blender and made clean up so easy.

Turned out exactly like the photo!

I just made it and it is delicious! I skipped the olive oil and following other member's advice, I only used 1 tablespoon lemon juice. The consistency and favor was just right. I can't wait to try other variations.

This is my base recipe because it's so easy and tasty! I typically add smoked paprika, chipotle, and a capful of liquid smoke to ramp up the smokey flavor. Sometimes I add cumin, sometimes I don't. I don't add sesame seeds because I have a heavy hand w/ the tahini. I tend not to measure. Good stuff!

I love this! One tip is after you peel eggplant, place in a colander with a plate and can on top for 15 minutes to drain some of the water out.

I enjoyed eating this. I added some artichokes out of a can w water too which made it even yummier! Good w veggies.

Really really good. I followed another reviewer’s suggestion to let the eggplant rest with salt after cutting before blending all together.

Excellent recipe and I can’t get enough of it. I’ve made three batches and I went straight by the recipe the first time. I still go by the recipe but I estimate quantities instead of measuring. I planted Chinese eggplant in my garden this year and that is what I’ve been using. It tastes the same as regular eggplant to me, it’s just long and skinny as opposed to plump and oblong. I lived in the Middle East for two years (next door to a restaurant owner!) and this recipe is as good as anything I had over there.

This recipe was very good. When I served it there was nothing left. Will make it again.

I am allergic to citrus so I added a bit of balsamic vinegar instead of the lemon juice. Everyone at our party loved it.