Ethiopian Baba Ganoush Recipes

BABA GANOUSH RECIPE

Steps:

• First, smoke or grill the eggplant. Turn one gas burner on medium-high. Place the eggplant directly over the flame. Using a pair of tongs, turn the eggplant every 5 minutes or so until it is tender and the skin is charred and crispy on all sides (20 minutes.) The eggplant should deflate and become super tender. supposed to. If you don't have a gas burner you can use a grill. You can also roast the eggplant in the oven (see notes).
• Remove the eggplant from the heat and transfer it to a large colander over a bowl. Allow it to sit and drain for a few minutes until fully cooled and all excess water has been drained (it helps if you open the eggplant up a bit and push on it with a knife or a spoon to help it release its juices).
• Once the eggplant is cool enough to touch, peel the charred crispy skin off (it should come right off). Discard the skin and the stem (don't worry if a few bits of the skin remain, that is just added flavor).
• Transfer the cooked and fully drained eggplant to a bowl. Use a fork to break it down into smaller pieces. Add the tahini paste, garlic, lemon juice, Greek yogurt (if using) salt, pepper, sumac, Aleppo pepper or crushed red pepper flakes. Mix gently with a wooden spoon or a fork until well-combined.
• Cover the baba ganoush and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour.
• To serve, transfer the baba ganoush to a rimmed serving dish or a bowl. Top with a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and toasted pine nuts, if you like. Serve with pita wedges or pita chips and veggies of your choice!

BABA GANOUSH

Steps:

• Put the barbeque on high and place the three eggplants on the grill. Make sure the heat is evenly distributed, so the eggplants can be cooked at the same pace. Cook for 30 minutes.
• Once cooked, scoop out the meat of the eggplant (I call it the meat but it's not meat, it's just that I can't find another word for it). Let cool completely.
• Once cooled, place it in the food processor and pulse three times. If you have a small food processor like I do. split it in half.
• After pulsing, put it in a small bowl add mayonaise and mix thoroughly. Add the garlic powder and mix again. This refrigerates very well, and lasts for a good few days.

BABA GANOUSH - THE BEST IN THE WORLD!

Steps:

• Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill.
• Preheat an oven to 375°F.
• Prick the eggplant with a fork in several places and place on the grill rack 4 to 5 inches from the fire.
• Grill, turning frequently, until the skin blackens and blisters and the flesh just begins to feel soft, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Transfer the eggplant to a baking sheet and bake until very soft, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Remove from the oven, let cool slightly, and peel off and discard the skin.
• Place the eggplant flesh in a bowl.
• Using a fork, mash the eggplant to a paste.
• Add the 1/4 cup tahini, the garlic, the 1/4 cup lemon juice and the cumin and mix well.
• Season with salt, then taste and add more tahini and/or lemon juice, if needed.
• Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl and spread with the back of a spoon to form a shallow well.
• Drizzle the olive oil over the top and sprinkle with the parsley.
• Place the olives around the sides.
• Serve at room temperature.

TRADITIONAL BABA GHANOUSH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Arrange oven racks so you have one low and one high in the oven.
• Cut a shallow slit along the side of the eggplant and place into a baking dish.
• Roast in preheated oven on the lower rack until the eggplant is completely shrunken and soft, about 40 minutes. Move dish to higher rack and continue baking until the skin is charred, about 5 minutes more. Let eggplant cool until cool enough to handle.
• Peel and discard skin from eggplant. Put eggplant into a bowl; add tahini, garlic, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and salt. Stir until ingredients are evenly mixed. Drizzle olive oil over the baba ghanoush and garnish with parsley.

ETHIOPIAN BABA GANOUSH

Steps:

• Wash and cut a slit into the eggplant.
• Bake on 400 for 1 hour or until the eggplant is soft and colapsed.
• Set the eggplant aside to cool and begin prepping the other ingredients.
• Once the eggplant is cool slice off the ends and discard. Leaving the skin on slice the eggplant into 1/8 to 1/4 inch slices and then roughly chop. This is just to make the skin a little bit easier on your blender. Add the egg plant, lemon juice, tahini, garlic and berbere to the blender and blend until smooth. Give it a taste and then add salt if necessary.

BABA GANOUSH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°. Cut eggplant in half lengthwise. Place cut side up on an ungreased baking sheet. Brush 1 tablespoon olive oil over cut sides. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and paprika. Bake until dark golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Remove eggplant from pan to a wire rack to cool., Peel skin from eggplant; discard. Put flesh into a food processor and pulse to mash; transfer to bowl. Stir in tahini, lemon juice, garlic and and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Spoon into serving dish. Drizzle with additional olive oil. Sprinkle with parsley and additional paprika.

SMOKY BABA GANOUSH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375F (190C).
• Prick each eggplant a few times, then char the outside of the eggplants by placing them directly on the flame of a gas burner and as the skin chars, turn them until the eggplants are uniformly-charred on the outside. (If you don't have a gas stove, you can char them under the broiler. If not, skip to the next step.).
• Place the eggplants on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until they're completely soft; you should be able to easily poke a paring knife into them and meet no resistance.
• Remove from oven and let cool.
• Split the eggplant and scrape out the pulp. Puree the pulp in a blender or food processor with the other ingredients until smooth.
• Taste, and season with additional salt and lemon juice, if necessary. Serve drizzle with olive oil, perhaps some herbs and with crackers, sliced baguette, or toasted pita chips for dipping.
• Storage: Baba Ganoush can be made and refrigerated for up to five days prior to serving.

BABA GHANOUSH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.
• Place eggplant on baking sheet, and make holes in the skin with a fork. Roast it for 30 to 40 minutes, turning occasionally, or until soft. Remove from oven, and place into a large bowl of cold water. Remove from water, and peel skin off.
• Place eggplant, lemon juice, tahini, sesame seeds, and garlic in an electric blender, and puree. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer eggplant mixture to a medium size mixing bowl, and slowly mix in olive oil. Refrigerate for 3 hours before serving.

MINTED BABA GANOUSH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 190C (375F). Using a sharp knife, make several deep cuts in the eggplant and place the garlic pieces inside. Place on a baking sheet and bake until soft, about 40 minutes. Allow to cool. Remove the eggplant skin and discard.
• Transfer the eggplant flesh and garlic to a food processors. Add the tahini, lemon juice, olive oil and salt to taste and process until smooth.
• Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with the mint. Serve at room temperature.

BABA GANOUSH

Steps:

• Heat the grill to its highest setting. Put the aubergines on a baking sheet and grill for 35-40 mins or until completely softened, blackened and blistered, turning them halfway through with a pair of tongs. Set aside and leave to cool completely.
• Once your aubergines are cool enough to handle, gently peel off the charred skin and discard. Transfer the flesh to the large bowl of a food processor along with 30ml of the oil, the coriander, cumin, tahini, lemon and half the parsley. Season and pulse the flesh three or four times to create a chunky textured dip.
• Transfer the dip to a bowl and drizzle with the remaining oil, scatter over any leftover parsley and serve with warm flatbreads or pitta.

BABA GANOUSH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 475°F.
• Make a deep slit lengthwise down the eggplants.
• Cut garlic cloves lengthwise in half and stuff them in the slits of the eggplants.
• Bake eggplants for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the skins are extreme shriveled and the eggplant gives to the touch.
• Remove eggplants from the oven and let rest for 20 minutes or until cool enough to handle.
• Peal the skin off the eggplants and put the "meat" center in a food processor
• Process to a smooth paste.
• Add tahini, mayonnaise, black pepper, and lemon juice and process until combined.
• Chill and serve or serve at room temperature.
• Enjoy!

BURNT BABA GANOUSH

Steps:

• Preheat the barbeque to 475°F.
• Pearce the eggplant in several places with a fork.
• Bake the eggplant for 45-50 minutes, turning 2 or 3 times.
• Remove from heat and let cool about 10 - 15 minutes.
• Remove the skin, and optionally reserve a small portion.
• Mash the eggplant with a fork. The eggplant should not be stringy.
• If you want extra smokey, finely chop a bit of the skin.
• Add tahini and mix, about a tablespoon at a time, to taste.
• Add remainder of ingredients, except for the olive oil. Depending on the size of the eggplants you will need to add a bit more of the other ingredients. The result should have a half-lumpy/half-creamy consistency.
• At this point, you can drizzle olive oil and sprinkle the parsley to taste and serve warm. Alternatively, to allow the garlic to blend, I find that setting it aside for a few hours also works well.
• Spread on a serving plate and serve with pita bread.