Baba Ghanush

The Recycled Cook

Baba Ghanush

Had a clear out of the fridge today and  found two seriously sad looking Aubergines (Eggplants) so thought I would use them up in a blog.

 What better way than to make the classic Middle Eastern dip, Baba Ghanush, (Father's indulgence) The aubergine equivalent to Humus.

 The first thing to do is to roast the Aubergine in their skins in a moderate oven (180°C / Gas mark 5) for about 40 minutes.

 Once this is done let them cool, then remove the flesh from the skins.
Put the flesh in a mixing bowl and add a quarter cup of Plain Yoghurt, a quarter cup of Tahini, the juice of half a lemon, a quarter teaspoon of Cumin and two tablespoons of Sesame Oil (Olive oil will do just fine).

 Put all the ingredients into a blender
and whisk into a smooth paste, if you don't have a blender you could make this with a Mouli too.
You could blend it by hand but the fibrous texture of the flesh would make that quite a challenge.

 This is a classic Middle Eastern dish that can form part of a Meze player or just served as a side dish.

The Persian version of this dish varies slightly from that of the Levant as they tend to spice it with coriander and cumin.
The Levantine version would be minimally spiced and topped with thinly chopped parsley or coriander leaves. 

 In Israel it is now as Salat Hatzilim and unlike Baba Ghanush it is made with fried or grilled Aubergine (eggplant), mixed with Mayonnaise instead of Tahini paste, salt, lemon and topped with fried onions.


There is not a lot more to this dish other than to present it well, try serving it in a earthenware pot, make an index in the top ad add a pool of olive oil. Dust some sweet paprika

around the rim and you are done

Serve with some flatbread, these you can buy or make your own unleavened bread (watch this space).

To present it I like to serve it in a rustic, earthenware bowl with a small pool of Sesame oil and a sprinkling of Pimienton or smoked paprika.


This will keep well in the fridge for a few days, I haven't tried freezing this dish yet but I see no reason why you couldn't if you want to keep it longer.

So instead of throwing out these, past their best, Aubergnes you now have an authentic Arabic dip.




Disclaimer: The suggestions and tips on these blog pages are meant to be used in conjunction with common sense. Keeping your family healthy is the priority. Do not use food that is unfit for human consumption and always follow sensible food hygiene guidelines.

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/homehygiene/Pages/food-leftovers-safety.aspx


Always be careful in the kitchen, we accept no responsibility for any accidents caused as a direct or indirect result of preparing any of these dishes. 

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