Baba Ghanoush (Eggplant Dip)

I like to think of Baba Ghanoush as the sibling of the well known hummus! It is an appetizer that is served on almost every Middle Eastern brunch table right beside the hummus and falafel. For those who don’t know, Baba Ghanoush also known as Imtabal is a smoky eggplant dish topped with olive oil and eaten with bread. It is a very simple dish to make and not to mention healthy. It requires minimal ingredients and prep time. It’s completely vegan just like most middle eastern appetizers. Lately, I actually prefer this over hummus! I hope you try to make it and enjoy it 🙂

Ingredients

1 eggplant

2 tbsp tahini

a juice of 3/4 of a lemon (might need the whole lemon)

Pinch of cumin

2-3 garlic cloves

Salt to taste

1 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

• Score your eggplant with a knife on all sides. This will allow for more smokiness to come through when charring and roasting.
• Turn on the stove to medium heat and char the eggplant on the stove top on each side for about a minute till it blisters.
• Cover the charred eggplant with aluminum foil and place on a baking pan. Bake in a 375 degrees oven for 40 minutes.
• Take out the eggplant, stick a fork in it and see if its tender. If it is, then it is ready. If not, place back in oven till fully tender.
• Once eggplant is tender, take off the skin of the eggplant which will be basically falling off at this point. Take out eggplant and place in a bowl and go through it with the fork till pulled apart and creamy.
• Using a mortar & pestle, smash the garlic cloves and add the salt. Add the eggplant to it. Add the tahini, olive oil, and lemon juice. Mix all together with the pestle.
• Taste and adjust as needed. Plate it and garnish with cilantro or parsley along with olive oil.