Eggplant and Tahini Dip
Baba Ganoush
Homestyle Middle Eastern Cooking by Pat Chapman
The Eggplant is greatly relished all over the Middle East, and because it is very soft in texture, it works really very well as a purée. This dish is particularly popular in the Levant, where it is called baba ganoush, and is often found in Lebanese restaurants in the West.Variations can also be found in Turkey, the Gulf, and Iran (where ground, dried fruit and yogurt are added to the purée). The dish should have an introguing smoky taste, and this is obtained by baking the eggplant over charcoal until the skin is quite burnt. Then the pulp is scraped out and the skin discarded. Try this the next time you barbecue. The alternative is to grill it over low heat until it burtns (turning it two or three times).
Ingredients
2 1/2 pounds eggplant
1 to 4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons tahini
2 to 4 tablespoons yogurt (optional)
2 or 3 dried apricots (optional)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt to taste
pinch cayenne (optional)
parsley sprig, chopped
Method
Wash the eggplant (do not trim the stalk). Prick it a few times with a fork or the tip of a knife.
Bake the eggplant over charcoal, or a low-to medium-heat broiler with the rack at lowest level, or in an oven preheated to 325˙F. Cook until the skin has charred and blistered. Times will vary, but it will definitley cook for 20 minutes or longer. Check the eggplant and turn occassionally.
Remove from the heat, cut in half while still hot, and scoop out all the flesh, discarding the skin.
Place the cooked eggplant, garlic, tahini, yogurt, and apricot, if desired, into a food processor or blender, and pulse to a soft texture (or mash by hand). Add the lemon juice and salt to taste.
Serve cold, garnished with the cayenne, if desired, and parsley.
Find this and other delicious recipes in Homestyle Middle Eastern Cooking by Pat Chapman
Recipe Testing Notes
Sunday 8th December, 2011
This recipe makes one of my all time favourite dips, however, roasting the eggplant, or augerbine, as we call them is the tricky part. I never do this on the day, but a day before, (if I think ahead!). I also perfer not to use the yogurt (sic) or apricot, as I consider the aubergine flavourfull enough.
