Baba Ghannouj has a sweet memory from my childhood. I spent one summer with my uncle in Queensland when I was around 11 years old. He had a homemade business where he prepared traditional Lebanese dips and sold them in wholesale to markets around town. Every weekend, we would help him peel the eggplants, prepare them for the Baba Ghannouj, and pack them in containers with labels on them. The words on the containers will forever leave a mark in my memory. One Saturday I packed more than 100 Baba Ghanouj and Hommos dips and it felt so good! My uncle’s house was always infiltrated with the scents of grilled eggplants and it was just amazing!
That’s why until this day, I find that the definition of a heart-felt appetizer on the dinning table is homemade Baba Ghannouj. I love decorating mine with pomegranate seeds and parsley. Sometimes I’ll make Baba Ghannouj for the sole purpose of making my house smell so good and to take me back to that summer :).
This is a great vegetarian snack or appetizer to have next to many main meals.
Baba Ghannouj
Be prepared for the aromatic scents of the grilled eggplants!
Ingredients
- 2 large eggplants (kept in whole with stem)
- 8 crushed garlic
- 6-8 TB tahina
- 5-7 TB lemon juice (around 3-4 lemons)
- 1 tsp salt
- Chopped parsley and pomegrante seeds for garnishing
Directions
- Step 1 With a fork puncture the eggplants all around randomly (this will allow it to grill better while releasing juices)
- Step 2 Place each eggplant on one burner on high heat and leave to grill, rotating every once in a while until all sides are grilled. Hold the stem to rotate. The skin on the eggplant will shrink and juices will be released. Do this for around 20-30 M rotating every once in a while to ensure all side are grilled evenly.
- Step 3 Remove and place on a plate to cool.
- Step 4 Once cooled, with a knife (or wear gloves) peel off all black skin and stem. Make sure to not let the skin fall into the eggplants.
- Step 5 With a knife and fork finely chop so it becomes a fine-chunky mix.
- Step 6 Add in garlic and salt. Slowly add in a bit of the tahina while mixing and a bit of lemon juice. Keep doing this while you taste. Depending on your preference, add in the rest of the tahina and lemon juice.
- Step 7 Garnish with parsley and pomegranate seeds. Serve cool.
