Perfect Baba Ghanouj in 6 Steps
There’s no way this hummus blog could go on with no baba ganouj recipe in it, right?
Baba ghanouj (or “baba ghanoush”) is the Arab name for roasted eggplants with tahini, a dish which is found all over the middle-east and in some Mediterranean countries. It’s very easy to make, but the taste can go all the way from horrible to divine - depending mainly on the quality of the ingredients and the proper roasting of the eggplants.
Well, you know what they say - practice makes perfect. So start practicing this recipe.
Ingredients
1 mid-size eggplant
1/3 cup of the best tahini you can find
1/2 lemon, squeezed
1-2tbs finely chopped parsley
salt, pepper
reparation
1. Roast the eggplant over a kitchen cooker. Be thorough. If you never done this before, use our Quick Guide.
2. Put aside for 15-20 minutes. Let the eggplant chill up a little, over a plate or a strainer. The eggplant liquids should be fully drained before it is ready to use.
3. Strip and clean the eggplant. Peel off the shell and and put over a cutting board.
4. Chop the eggplant. Do NOT use a food processor. Chop the eggplant by hand, using a good knife. Use large, swift, hammer-like moves. With this traditional technique,the eggplants’ texture will be preserved.
5. Add all other ingredients. Yeah, you’re right, I took this shot only because it looks beautiful.
6. Mix Gently, taste. Is something missing? More lemon juice? A little salt maybe? You should take your time. Also, after some time the flavors will change a bit, so if you don’t eat it right away you should taste it again.
Comments
10 Responses to “Perfect Baba Ghanouj in 6 Steps”
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I sure hope that Baba ganouj tastes better than it looks.
I like eggplant. Most PROFESSIONAL CHEFS like myself, who know how to properly prepare it, usually like it. But, it has to look good as well.
If I served that to my boyfriend “Big Bear” he would probably throw me out of the trailer house, even though I just bought him a $85.00 bottle of 50-year old balsamic vinegar. He likes it on his baba ganouch and on his gnocchi (he has lost most of his teeth, so he has to have soft food to eat . . . that’s what happens when you use meth). He even puts balsamic vinegar in his beer!
Please work on the presentation.
If you want to transliterate بابا غنوش properly, it should be “Baba Ghanush”.
Gh = Ghayin which sounds like the R in French. Sh like in shall.
I must apologize for chiff0nade. She posts all over the internet that I am her boyfriend and even posted my photo (without my permission) on her MySpace website.
I feel sorry for her because of her past history of four divorces, two suicide attempts, and other personal problems.
But I am really tired of being embarrassed by her continuous postings. And now she has resorted to posting under numerous other names, such as “MrsDocChuck”, “realchiffonade”, and others.
Please be aware that I (David) do NOT engage in domestic violence. And “chiff0nade” is NOT a professional chef. In fact, since her last arrest she has not been able to get a job here in Florida.
What’s the difference between baba ghanoush and mutabbal? Here in Amman we have both, but I’m confused as to what the difference is. Good stuff, though, whichever one I get. I made a huge mess on the stove roasting the eggplant last time, but it was pretty good.
Also, do you have a recipe for tarator? Seems pretty straightforward, tahini, parsley, lemon, garlic, salt, right? I’ve only had it once, on fish, and I LOVED it. I’m a semi-vegetarian and would like to try it on vegetables.
I know tarator as a cold cucumber soup, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarator. A Bulgarian friend gave me this recipe:
1 large cucumber, finely chopped
a handful chopped fresh dill
1-2 Tablespoon olive oil
several crushed walnuts (it’s better to smash them with a hammer than chop them because the oils, and therefore the full flavor, are released through crushing)
1 large clove garlic, crushed then chopped finely
about 2 cups plain yogurt
salt to taste
lemon juice to taste
mix the ingredients in this order in a large bowl, add a little cruched ice to chill. when the ice has melted, mix and serve.
you can make tarator thicker (more like tzatziki) as a side dish, or with more water as a refreshing summer soup.
about the Tarator :
You have to mix the yogurt with a glass of cold water,to become like a soup and usually we don’t put any lemon or vinegar in this cold soup.When you smash the garlic must be with little salt.And if you don’t like wallnuts it’s not neccesery to put them inside.Also we don’t put ice to make it cold,we just put it in the frige where it stays about 1h.It’s also nice if u put black pepper.
Erm, I know it’s sacrilege to admit that you have an electric, rather than gas, cooker. But, as a result of circumstances beyond my control right now, I do. How would you do the eggplant then? Under the grill? Help, I have an eggplant staring at me from the veggie drawer as we speak…
Lisa - grill is OK. Not as good as a gas cooker but It’ll do the work. Only remember the eggplant should become completely soft inside and burned outside.
i thought the photos were great (and i have a degree in photography! oohhh!) very well framed and lit, and that the baba ganouj looked yummy. chiff-whatever girl is coo-coo, coco puffs-style.