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Baba ghanouj

Name: Baba ghanouj
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 10
Ingredients: 3 piece medium aubergines; 1.5 tbsp tahini; 1 tbsp lemon juice; 2 clove garlic (1–2 cloves); 2 tsp salt; 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 1 tsp sweet paprika; flat-leaf parsley and tomato, finely chopped

Aubergines charred whole over a flame until smoky and collapsing, peeled and blended with tahini, lemon, garlic and salt, then finished with olive oil, paprika, parsley and tomato. The Lebanese version from SBS's Lebanese Food Safari.

Editorial illustration of the documented recipe; not a photograph of a kitchen-tested result.

Servings: 10
Preparation: 15 min
Cooking: 20 min
Resting: 30 min
Total: 1 h 5
Difficulty: Easy

Equipment

Gas flame (or a very hot grill); tongs
Colander; food processor

Servings10

Method

Put the whole aubergines directly on a gas flame and turn them with tongs until the skin is blistered all over and the flesh is soft.
Why Charring the skin is what gives the smoky taste; without it the dip is not baba ghanouj, SBS says.
Timer · 15 min15:00
Soak them in cold water for 10 minutes to cool, then peel and leave the flesh to drain for 15–20 minutes.
Why Draining removes bitter juice and keeps the dip thick.
Timer · 30 min30:00
Process the flesh with the tahini, lemon juice, garlic and salt until creamy. Taste and add more tahini, lemon or salt if you like.
Spread in a bowl, make a well in the centre, pour in the oil and sprinkle with paprika, parsley and tomato.

Substitutions

Gas flame → A barbecue, or under a very hot oven grill, turning often; the smoke flavour is milder.

Common mistakes

Not draining the aubergine: the dip is watery.

Storage & reheating

Keeps 3 days covered in the fridge.

Safety

Contains sesame (tahini). Take care charring over an open flame.

Allergens

Sesame

Check labels: stock, bacon and sauces can contain further allergens.

Dietary

vegan · gluten-free

A mezze dip

Baba ghanouj is part of the Lebanese mezze table; SBS's recipe comes from its Lebanese Food Safari. Spellings vary widely (baba ganoush, baba ghanoush). We did not find a sourced history of the name, so we give none.

[1]

Fire first

The aubergine cooks entirely in its skin over a flame: the skin chars and the flesh steams and collapses, taking on smoke. A short soak cools it for peeling, and draining removes the bitter liquid. Tahini, lemon and garlic are balanced to taste.

[1]

How it connects

Wine region

origin Lebanon

Recipe

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