Baba Ghannouj (Smoked Eggplant (Aubergine) Puree)

Chrissyo's Note:

This is a quick and easy dip to impress your visitors.

• Total Time: 45 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 6-12

Yield: 1.0 dip

• 2 large fresh firm skin eggplants (2 cups after roasting and squeezing per recipe)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 120 ml tahini (sesame paste)
• 40 ml lemon juice
• 100 ml extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Char grill eggplants over a direct flame or roast in the oven until skin has blackened.
2. Set aside in a bowl covered with plastic wrap until cool enough to handle, then peel carefully.
3. To remove the bitter flavoured juices from the eggplants, squeeze the flesh/pulp until most of the juices have been drained.
4. In a food processor, blend warm eggplant, with cumin, garlic, salt, tahini and lemon juice until it is a smooth paste.
5. Then while still blending the eggplant mixture slowly drizzle in olive oil.
6. Season to taste and serve with your favourite bread.

Reviews

[Merlot]

Had friends over for a light supper and served your Baba Ghannouj with Pita Bread as an appetizer. What a hit! Your recipe is so much better than the one we get at an area Lebanese restaurant! Your ingredient amounts were "right on". Sooo flavorful! Thanks again Chrissy O for another great recipe.

[Sackville]

This was one of the better baba ghannouj recipes I've had and definitely the best one to come out of my kitchen. The tip of squeezing out the juice from the eggplant was a good one. However, I did use a little less tahini (about 100ml) than indicated and quite a bit less olive oil (about 50ml). Maybe my eggplants were smaller than the ones used in the original recipe, but I just found that the end product was so creamy it didn't need the full amount of either ingredient.

[""R""]

Absolutely the best. I've tried other recipes for baba ghannouj and none compare with this. Could be addictive!