Baba Ganoush ♥ (Recipe for Middle Eastern Eggplant Spread) (2024)

FAQs

What are the ingredients for baba ganoush? ›

Baba ganoush is a Mediterranean eggplant dip made from roasted or grilled eggplant, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and salt. Like hummus, it's delicious with pita or fresh veggies, but its silky texture and irresistible smoky flavor set it apart.

If your Baba Ganoush tastes bitter, add a half teaspoon of baking soda at a time and blend well (tasting in between) to remove bitterness from the dish.

baba ghanoush

The Arabic term for the dish means “pampered daddy,” the person in question being, legend has it, a sultan spoiled with a concoction invented by a member of his harem.

Baba ganoush (also known as baba ghanouj or baba ghanoush) is one of the most popular dips in Lebanese cuisine—and at my table! That is because the flavor of this creamy dip is so bright and smokey. It's luscious texture goes with dippers of every sort: crackers, pita chips, pita wedges, fresh veggies, you name it.

Yes, baba ganoush is healthy. The main ingredient is eggplant, which is low in calories and carbohydrates and high in fiber. It's also a good source of vitamins and minerals like potassium and vitamin K. It's also lower in calories than hummus since it's mostly made of eggplant versus chickpeas.

Baba Ghanoush is delicious. Made with eggplant that's been fire roasted (either on a hot grill or under a broiler) to the point of shriveling, it can be served as a side dish. Typically, though, it's a cold or room temperature spread, served with pita bread or crostini or crusty French bread… or a spoon.

Baba Ghanoush may taste bitter due to factors like the choice of eggplant, insufficient roasting, or the use of too much garlic, lemon juice, or low-quality tahini.

Now don't get me wrong, hummus is just as delicious. But this dip has an insanely scrumptious smoky flavor – all thanks to the method of charring eggplants on a grill.

Central to Baba Ganoush is the eggplant, charred to perfection to imbue the dip with its characteristic smoky flavor. Combined with tahini, garlic, lemon juice, and herbs, the result is a richly layered dip that's both complex and comforting.

I like to serve my baba ganoush with sturdy raw veggies like carrot sticks, cucumber rounds and bell pepper sticks. Toasted pita wedges or pita chips are great, too. For a full Mediterranean spread, serve this baba ganoush with herbed hummus or tahini sauce and fresh salads.

Is hummus healthier than baba ganoush? ›

3) Health – Both dishes are very healthy, but baba ganoush has a slight edge here with more vitamins from the eggplant and a lower calorie count. 4) Big meal to come – Get baba ganoush, it's less filling than hummus.

Homemade baba ganoush can be stored in the fridge in a tight-lid container for about 4 days or so (some say up to a week, but mine never lasts that long).

It comes from the Arabic phrase baba gannuj, in which baba can mean father or daddy (or an endearment), and gannuj can mean coquettish or pampered. The dish, the OED says, was named “perhaps with reference to its supposed invention by a member of a royal harem.” So the pampered daddy may have been a sultan.

Mutabbal is probably what many people would recognise as 'Baba Ganoush', the staple aubergine dip of Middle Eastern restaurants everywhere. Though its name is not quite so catchy (Baba is the Arabic word for 'dad' and so baba ghanouj / ganoush roughly translates to something like 'spoiled daddy' or 'pampered papa').

3) Health – Both dishes are very healthy, but baba ganoush has a slight edge here with more vitamins from the eggplant and a lower calorie count. 4) Big meal to come – Get baba ganoush, it's less filling than hummus.

One main difference between baba ganoush and hummus is baba ganoush's main ingredient, which is eggplant. In hummus, chickpeas are the primary ingredient. Although the difference seems simple, it makes a huge difference in the taste. Baba ganoush has an earthy taste while hummus has a more nutty tone.

What is tahini sauce? Tahini sauce is a Middle Eastern condiment that is served with many dishes from the region. It's made with only 3 main ingredients: tahini paste, which is crushed sesame seeds, lemon juice, and garlic. Tahini is made by grinding toasted, hulled sesame seeds to create a creamy, smooth spread.