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HEALTHY

Baba Ghanouj
MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN

YIELD About 2 cups

TIME 1 hour 15 minutes

Saved

Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times

As sesame tahini sits, the oil separates, so the

mixture should be stirred before it’s used.
Sesame tahini should be slightly runny —
virtually all of the imported brands that I use
have this consistency, but domestic versions can
be thick and pasty, and a bit flavorless. You can
find imported tahini in Mediterranean markets
and in many grocery stores. It must be stored in
the refrigerator once opened. Baba ghanouj is a
signature Middle Eastern grilled eggplant puree
enriched with tahini and seasoned with lemon
juice and lots of garlic. The dish has a smoky,
pungent flavor. Don’t forget to pierce the
eggplant before you put it on the grill. You can
also grill it inside over a gas flame.

Featured in: Tahini: The Taste Of Healthy

Middle Eastern Cuisine.

Cooked 202 ratings

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE BABA GANOUSH

2 pounds eggplant, preferably small

eggplants

¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (more

to taste)

¼ cup sesame tahini, stirred if oil has

separated out

1 to 2 tablespoons plain low-fat yogurt, as

needed

2 garlic cloves, cut in half, green shoots

removed

Salt to taste

FOR THE GARNISH

Extra-virgin olive oil

Chopped flat-leaf parsley

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PREPARATION

FOR THE BABA GANOUSH

Step 1
Prepare a hot gas or charcoal grill. Pierce the
eggplants in several places with a fork or the
tip of a knife, and place over the hot coals.
Grill, turning regularly, until soft and
blackened all over. If you don’t have a grill
but do have a gas stove, preheat the oven to
425 degrees. Cover the top of your stove
under the burner grates with foil to facilitate
cleaning. Turn on your oven fan (so the
smoke alarm won’t go off), and roast the
eggplants directly over the flame, turning
often until charred and softened. Small, thin
eggplants will cook through this way, but
larger eggplants must be finished in the
oven. Wrap in foil, and place in the hot oven
for 20 minutes until thoroughly softened. You
can also roast the eggplant under a broiler
until charred and softened. The flavor of the
baba ganoush will not be as smoky.

Step 2
Place the grilled eggplant in a colander in the
sink, and allow to cool and drain. Peel and
discard the black skins, cut off the stems,
and let the eggplants sit in the colander to
drain for another 15 to 30 minutes.

Step 3
Puree the eggplant in a food processor fitted
with the steel blade. Add the lemon juice,
yogurt and tahini. In a mortar and pestle,
pound the garlic to a paste with a generous
pinch of salt. Add to the food processor, and
blend with the eggplant. Add salt to taste.

Step 4
Mound the puree in a bowl or on a platter,
and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with
parsley. Serve with pita bread.

Tip

Advance preparation: This dish can be made

several hours ahead. The flavors are best on the
day it’s made, as the garlic, lemon juice and
eggplant become more pungent over time.

Martha Rose Shulman can be reached at

martha-rose-shulman.com.

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COOKING NOTES

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All 32 Most Helpful 7 Private 0

David 2 years ago

I slice the garlic into halves or quarters,
make small slices in the skin of the
eggplant, and push pieces of garlic into
the eggplant prior to roasting. Then roast
as above with the garlic in the eggplant.
The roasted garlic adds a nice grarlic
flavor without the sharpness of fresh
garlic.
42 This is helpful

Alexandra 2 years ago

This recipe is excellent. It uses slightly
more tahini than others, and it works just
fine. I had the bitterness problemmany
times, and also occasional watery
results, so I asked a classy Lebanese
restaurant/deli. They prepare the
eggplants the day before and drain them
(peeled) in a colander (placed in a bowl)
with a small plate and weights on top
overnight. An astonishing amount of dark
juices that contain the bitterness come
out, and you will have a perfect result
every time.
25 This is helpful

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