I know that no one needs another baba ghanouj (ghanoush, ganoush) recipe. But this is my archive and I simply need to have it here so I don’t have to go looking all over the web when I am ready to make it. This is my version and it adds a serrano pepper, some sesame oil and cilantro: this is what makes my tongue happy, but you can omit these if you want. I make it frequently and almost always eyeball it, so the measurements here are not that precise. When we run out of left overs, it serves as a great lunch. All you have to do is to add a pita, naan or tortilla.
Ingredients:
2 medium-large eggplants (Italian Globe eggplants are just fine).
3 cloves of garlic, peeled (scale according your preference).
1 serrano pepper, stemmed and coarsely chopped
1/3 cup sesame paste (Tahini):
3 tbs. olive oil, more for drizzling if you are into the picture perfect look.
1-2 tbs toasted sesame oil (I used 2)
2-4 tbs. lemon juice or to taste (My eggplants were large, I used 4)
salt, to taste (I used 1 1/2 tsp)
pinch of cayenne, optional.
a hand full of cilantro (you can use up your stems if you like), optional.
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 400˚F. Line a jelly roll pan with foil. Cut each eggplant into half and lightly oil and salt them.
2. Roast, cut side down for about 40 min. The eggplants should be wrinkled and completely soft. If not, continue to roast until they reach this stage (you can do this on a hot grill: it takes about 30 mins, with frequent turning).
3. Let the eggplants cool till they can be handled, then peel off the skin (I often don’t bother, it makes no difference to the flavor).
4. Put all ingredients in the food processor (except salt and lemon) and zap until you get a perfectly smooth baba ghanouj. A few bits of cilantro might not blend, but it still tastes great.
5. Add salt and lemon, taste and adjust.
6. It may need a bit more sesame oil to make the sesame flavor more intense, so adjust accordingly.
Four Clan Kitchen 