Baba ghanouj is a traditional Mediterranean dish made from eggplant and tahini (sesame paste). Diners dip baba ghanouj with wedges of pita bread, vegetables or chips. It is a perfect dip to serve alongside hummus at dinner parties since it sits well outside the refrigerator for limited amounts of time. You can make a tasty baba ghanouj in just a few simple steps.
Instructions
1. Broil or barbecue three eggplants until the skin is dark, somewhat charred and blistered. After 20 to 30 minutes, the eggplant flesh softens to a consistency suitable to making baba ghanouj.
2. Cool the eggplant on a rack for approximately ten minutes. Once it rests, the eggplant skin peels away easily for further preparation.
3. Squeeze the peeled eggplant over a bowl or the sink to rid it of excess liquid.
4. Puree the eggplant in a food processor along with tahini, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, cayenne pepper and salt until it is smooth. If the baba ghanouj is lumpy, stream in a touch of olive oil.
5. Transfer the baba ghanouj to a serving dish and garnish with olives or parsley and arrange pita and vegetables around the dish for dipping.
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