Babaganoush Dip

The babaganoush dip is made using smoked eggplants. If you love a flavour packed dip with a smoky after taste then this is the dip for you! Living in Australia we are so lucky to be exposed to so many different cuisines at numerous restaurants but also between our friends. I first tried this dip when a friend of mine brought it at one of our dinner parties. Her mum’s expert hands made it and it was delicious – it’s been a favourite dip ever since!

I tried a number of times to make it but I would always rush and take the eggplant off the stove before it had softened enough. It also lacked that distinct smoky flavour. I realized my mistakes after watching a reality cooking show on TV when they made the babaganoush dip.

The smoky flavour

The key to the babaganoush smokiness is to pierce the eggplant before it goes on the flame, which will also allow the moisture to escape. Also once it is done it is best to place the eggplant in a colander to remove as much of the bitter liquid so that is tastes better and is a lot creamier. From what I’ve read you can also roast the eggplant if you prefer a less smoky flavour. I haven’t tried it myself but perhaps it might just be my next experiment.

The eggplants to buy

Only a few ingredients are needed to make babaganoush with the obvious being eggplants. Eggplants vary sooooo much in size and of course the different kind. One thing I didn’t think of is that they also vary in the type of “gender”. It was brought to my attention by another foodie enthusiast, Maria from @minoan_food4thought. She posted that the best type of eggplants to use for a dip is the “male” version because they have less seeds in them, which would make them less bitter also. They are also more straight looking, hence cooking them whole will be more even. When buying eggplants for this dip look for a round indentation (male) on the bottom of the eggplant and not a straight line (female).

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Babaganoush dip

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Cooling time

15 mins

Total Time

30 mins

 

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Author: Eleni Georges

Ingredients

• 3 small/medium eggplants ~800g
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 3 tbs lemon juice (see notes)
• 1 tbs parsley, chopped
• ½ tsp salt (see notes)
• 1 ½ tbs tahini
• 2 tbs olive oil

Instructions

1. Wash the eggplants and dry well. Pierce each of the eggplants all around using a fork, about 10 times.

2. Place the eggplants individually on the gas flame on a medium/high heat and allow it to turn black and blister on all sides. Use tongs to turn them around periodically. It takes about 10min for each eggplant to smoke. I usually have two eggplants smoking simultaneously to minimize the total time needed.

3. Once that is done, place the eggplants in a colander over a bowl and allow it to cool for about 10-15min. When you can handle the heat without burning your hands, peel the eggplants. I usually hold on to the stem and then using a knife or just my fingers I pull off the skin. Alternatively you can halve the eggplants lengthwise and scoop the flesh out.
4. Place the flesh on the colander and stir it to help release as much of the liquid as possible. This will ensure the dip is creamier and less bitter. Discard all the liquid that has been produced and put the eggplants in the bowl.

5. Using a knife and fork roughly chop the eggplants. You may want to use a food processor but I like to cut it this way so that the dip has more texture. Continue to cut the flesh until the pieces are all chopped and can easily be combined.

6. Add the garlic, lemon, parsley, tahini and mix with the fork. Then slowly stream in the olive oil while whisking the dip with the fork consistently, to help the mixture emulsify. 

7. Store in the fridge and serve at room temperature after at least a couple of hours to allow the flavours to combine.

Recipe Notes

The amount of salt varies depending on the bitterness of the eggplant. However I would suggest you let the dip rest for some time before adding more salt or lemon. When the eggplant dip stays in the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight so that the salt/lemon is able to be combined you might notice that you won’t have to add much more.