How to Make Baba Ghanoush (Smoky Lebanese Eggplant Dip)

Baba ghanoush is the smoky eggplant dip found on almost every Lebanese mezze table, next to hummus, tabbouleh and labneh. The eggplant is cooked whole over a flame or charcoal until the skin blackens and the flesh turns soft and smoky, then mashed with tahini, garlic and lemon.

A note on names: in much of Lebanon, the creamy tahini version is called mutabbal, and the name baba ghannouj is often given to a chunkier salad of smoked eggplant with tomato, onion, parsley and pomegranate molasses. Outside Lebanon, and on many Lebanese menus abroad, baba ghanoush means the tahini dip. This recipe makes the tahini version, and the tahini-free salad is under Variations.

Ingredients

• 2 large globe eggplants (about 1 kg / 2 lb total)
• 60 ml (1/4 cup) tahini, well stirred
• 45 to 60 ml (3 to 4 tablespoons) fresh lemon juice
• 1 to 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil, to finish
• 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds (optional)
• A pinch of sweet paprika or Aleppo pepper (optional)

Instructions

1. Prick each eggplant 3 or 4 times with a fork so steam can escape.
2. Over a flame: set the eggplants directly on a gas burner on medium-high heat or on a charcoal grill. Turn them every 4 to 5 minutes with tongs until the skin is black and papery all over and the eggplant slumps and feels soft right through to the stem, 15 to 25 minutes.
3. In the oven: if you have no flame, heat the grill (broiler) to high and roast the eggplants on a foil-lined tray on the top rack, turning every 10 minutes, for 35 to 45 minutes. Or bake at 220°C (425°F) for about 50 minutes. The flavor will be milder and less smoky.
4. Put the hot eggplants in a colander set over a bowl and leave them for 10 to 15 minutes, until cool enough to handle. This lets the bitter juices drain.
5. Split them open and scoop the flesh away from the skin with a spoon. Pick out any large clumps of seeds and stray bits of charred skin. A few black flecks are fine and add flavor.
6. Crush the garlic with the salt in a mortar, or grate it finely.
7. Mash the eggplant in a bowl with a fork until mostly smooth with a little texture. Stir in the garlic, tahini and 45 ml (3 tablespoons) of lemon juice.
8. Taste and add more lemon or salt. The dip should taste smoky first, then nutty, then bright.
9. Spread it on a shallow plate, make a swirl with the back of a spoon, and fill it with olive oil. Finish with parsley, pomegranate seeds and a pinch of paprika.

Tips for the best baba ghanoush

• Pick eggplants that feel light for their size with shiny, tight skin. They have fewer seeds and less bitterness.
• Mash by hand rather than in a food processor. A blender turns it gluey and loses the texture Lebanese cooks like.
• Do not skip draining. Watery eggplant makes a thin, sour dip.
• Let the finished dip rest for 30 minutes so the garlic mellows into it.

Variations

• Lebanese baba ghannouj salad: skip the tahini. Chop the smoked eggplant and mix it with 1 diced tomato, 1/2 small onion or 2 spring onions, a handful of parsley, 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 3 tablespoons olive oil.
• Creamier dip: some cooks stir in 2 tablespoons of thick yogurt or labneh. It is no longer vegan, but it is lovely.

How to serve and store

Serve at room temperature with warm pita, raw vegetables and the rest of the mezze, such as muhammara and fattoush. It keeps in a covered container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Add the olive oil and garnish only when serving.

Lebanese producers for the key ingredients

Tahini is half the flavor here. Al Yaman Factories has been grinding sesame in Sidon since 1882, and for the salad version, Debs w Remman makes hand-bottled pomegranate molasses in North Lebanon.

Frequently Asked Questions