Smoky Baba Ganoush Recipes

Steps:

• Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill.
• Preheat an oven to 375°F.
• Prick the eggplant with a fork in several places and place on the grill rack 4 to 5 inches from the fire.
• Grill, turning frequently, until the skin blackens and blisters and the flesh just begins to feel soft, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Transfer the eggplant to a baking sheet and bake until very soft, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Remove from the oven, let cool slightly, and peel off and discard the skin.
• Place the eggplant flesh in a bowl.
• Using a fork, mash the eggplant to a paste.
• Add the 1/4 cup tahini, the garlic, the 1/4 cup lemon juice and the cumin and mix well.
• Season with salt, then taste and add more tahini and/or lemon juice, if needed.
• Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl and spread with the back of a spoon to form a shallow well.
• Drizzle the olive oil over the top and sprinkle with the parsley.
• Place the olives around the sides.
• Serve at room temperature.

Steps:

• Heat the grill to its highest setting. Put the aubergines on a baking sheet and grill for 35-40 mins or until completely softened, blackened and blistered, turning them halfway through with a pair of tongs. Set aside and leave to cool completely.
• Once your aubergines are cool enough to handle, gently peel off the charred skin and discard. Transfer the flesh to the large bowl of a food processor along with 30ml of the oil, the coriander, cumin, tahini, lemon and half the parsley. Season and pulse the flesh three or four times to create a chunky textured dip.
• Transfer the dip to a bowl and drizzle with the remaining oil, scatter over any leftover parsley and serve with warm flatbreads or pitta.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375F (190C).
• Prick each eggplant a few times, then char the outside of the eggplants by placing them directly on the flame of a gas burner and as the skin chars, turn them until the eggplants are uniformly-charred on the outside. (If you don't have a gas stove, you can char them under the broiler. If not, skip to the next step.).
• Place the eggplants on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until they're completely soft; you should be able to easily poke a paring knife into them and meet no resistance.
• Remove from oven and let cool.
• Split the eggplant and scrape out the pulp. Puree the pulp in a blender or food processor with the other ingredients until smooth.
• Taste, and season with additional salt and lemon juice, if necessary. Serve drizzle with olive oil, perhaps some herbs and with crackers, sliced baguette, or toasted pita chips for dipping.
• Storage: Baba Ganoush can be made and refrigerated for up to five days prior to serving.

Steps:

• Set up your grill for indirect heat. If using a charcoal grill, build the coals on one side only. If using a gas grill, heat one side only.
• Prick the eggplants all over the surface with a fork. Place on the direct heat side of the grill or directly on to the coals, close the lid of the grill and char on all sides, turning once the skin begins to darken and crack, about 5 minutes per side. When the eggplants have softened through, remove to a resealable bag and allow to steam for a few minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel the eggplants and discard the skin and most of the seeds.
• In the meantime, make the tehina. Break up the garlic cloves into a blender or food processor, leaving them in their papery skins. Add the lemon juice and salt and blend into a pulpy purée. Press the mixture though a strainer set over a bowl containing the tahini. Whisk to combine; the mixture will thicken and seize up. Whisk in the ice water, smoothing out into a loose sauce.
• Add the cleaned eggplant to a blender or food processor while still warm. Pour in all the tehina and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt and lemon juice if needed. Serve with olive oil drizzled over the top.

Steps:

• Preheat a grill to medium high and brush the grates with olive oil.
• Pierce each eggplant all over 5 to 6 times to prevent splitting and help the interior cook all the way through. Place on the grill and cook, turning them every 5 minutes to make sure they're charred equally on all sides, until the flesh is very soft when pierced with the tip of a paring knife, 25 to 35 minutes (see Cook's Note). Transfer to a cutting board and let cool for 5 minutes.
• Peel each eggplant under cold running water, then return it to the cutting board. Finely chop the flesh and transfer it to a large bowl. Add the tahini, lemon juice, garlic and 1 teaspoon salt and mix well. Taste and add more salt, if needed.
• Transfer the baba ganoush to a serving bowl and make divots in it using a spoon. Drizzle with the 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle some sumac on top if using. Serve with pita. The baba ganoush will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.