For someone who loves small plates, condiments, and general grazing as much as I do, it’s surprising that I haven’t warmed up to baba ganoush over the years. It’s one of those dishes that is pretty inconsistent from restaurant to restaurant, and the store bought versions really don’t pass muster in the same way that a Sabra hummus does for the real thing.
Since texture seems to be the root of most of my phobias – fruit, wool turtlenecks, snakes – I’ll chalk it up to that. Eggplant, when roasted whole for a long period of time, tends to turn to mush. This is great for efficiency: you simply spoon out the flesh and voila, eggplant dip. But it’s just a little pulpy and slimy for my neurotic palate.
This summer, I found a solution to my baba woes. It involves the grill. And the resulting dip is so smooth and smoky and flavorful, it puts any other Mediterranean condiment to shame.
Eat up!
xo
Phoebe
Grilled Eggplant Baba Ganoush
Ingredients
Instructions
- Fire up your charcoal grill or set an indoor grill pan over a high flame.
- Brush the eggplant slices on both sides with olive oil and season with salt.
- Grill the eggplant on both sides until the flesh is charred and very soft, about 3 minutes per side, depending on how hot your grill is. Remove the eggplant to a plate to cool.
- In a small food processor, puree the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and ½ teaspoon of salt. Roughly chop the eggplant and add it to the processor. Pulse until the eggplant is coarsely chopped. I like my baba a little bit on the smoother side, so feel free to puree completely if you like, and add a glug of olive oil if the mixture is too thick. Taste for seasoning.
- Spoon the baba into a bowl and garnish with fresh parsley and a drizzle of olive oil, and serve alongside crackers or pita chips.
If you make this, tag @phoebelapine and #feedmephoebe - I'd love to see it!
Hi Phoebe! Baba ganoush is one of my very favorite things! My family loves it with falafel, too! I’ve actually never grilled the eggplant and so I am anxious to achieve the smoky grill flavor I’m sure your recipe possesses. Thanks for the great idea!
Thanks, Elise!! IT definitely gives the baba that added smokiness. Can’t wait to try your stuffed eggplant too! xo
I know what you mean by texture. Like okra seeds – both slimy and woody and thoroughly gag-inducing. Eggplant can go from silky to slimy so easily that I’ve never taken a chance with baba but now I will.
I feel the same way about okra! although they’ve been looking really beautiful at the farmer’s market this week. so unassuming and unslimy. perhaps there a trick there too! xo
I love okra! But I grew up on it, so I may be biased…I stew it for hours in garlicy tomato sauce with coriander seeds. I find the tomato leeches out some of the sliminess (not that I mind it!)
I love Baba Ganoush and the smokiness from grilling the eggplant takes this to another level!
Thanks, Jeanette! Love the sound of your summerfest dish as well! soy is such a good combo with eggplant. will have to give it a try! xo
You’re so right that homemade bab ganoush is infinitely better than store-bought. If I’m not using the grill, I bake mine (even in the toaster oven) at a high temp (425 or thereabout) for 30 minutes or so. My Roumanian grandfather used to char eggplant over an open burner – not recommended in a small apt kitchen – my mom says that when he did it, the apt smelled of burned eggplant skin for hours afterwards 🙂
haha – love that story! oh the things my apartment has smelled like for weeks. mostly bacon or sausage. but there’s been the occasional scorched something or other. Thanks for stopping by! xo
yumm!! my mom always makes it on the grill and it is soooo good. also, if you want to lighten in up a little bit, you can replace a bit of the tahini with plain yogurt. A bit sour and so so yummy.