Baba Ganoush

There’s a colorful story behind the name baba ganoush, but from a cook’s point of view, the most important thing to know about the dish is that it’s often called “burnt eggplant dip.” (If you want to get baba ganoush fever, read our full story.)

You can get the dish’s requisite smoky flavor by broiling whole eggplants until they’re charred all over — or, even better, setting them directly on hot coals outside on a charcoal grill. After that, a simple formula gets you there: roasted eggplant + tahini + lemon + salt + garnishes. Garlic is optional, but we never skip it. Cumin is also optional, and we skip it more often than not — just because the simplicity of the basic thing is so delightful. When we’re in a cumin-y mood, though, we enjoy its addition — especially when we toast cumin seeds and grind them in a mortar.

We experimented with myriad recipes — probably learning the most from Claudia Roden, author of The New Book of Middle Eastern Food, Arabesque (and other wonderful cookbooks) along the way — until we came up with this one we love. Feel free to add more garlic (or leave it out) or more or less tahini or lemon juice. Baba ganoush is very personal. But do try it this way: We think you’ll love it.

Charring the eggplant over live coals results in baba ganoush with deeper, smokier flavor, and for some reason a creamier texture. But don’t worry if you can’t manage to fire up an outdoor grill; broiling the eggplant results in a pretty great dip as well. When shopping, look for small-to-medium eggplants (larger ones can be more bitter). Choose eggplants that are somewhat firm (but not too hard) all over, with no very soft or mushy zones.

Serve the baba ganoush with warm pita bread for scooping it up.

Serves 4 to 6, or more, when it’s part of a larger mezze spread.

Ingredients

4 small, 3 medium or 2 large eggplants, about 2 1/2 pounds total (or slightly more or less)

3 tablespoons tahini

Juice of 2 lemons (about 2 1/2 ounces)

2 medium cloves garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)

Best-quality olive oil for garnish

Chopped Italian parsley, Aleppo pepper or sumac for garnish

Instructions

1. Light the coals on an outdoor grill or heat the broiler.

2. Use a fork to poke holes in each of the eggplants. If using the broiler, place the eggplants on a baking sheet and broil them as close to the flame as possible until they’re completely charred, about 22 to 25 minutes. Turn the eggplants over and broil until they’re completely charred on the other side, another 22 to 25 minutes. If using the outdoor grill, when the coals are live, spread them out and place the eggplants directly on them. Cover the grill and grill until the eggplants are completely charred on the first side, about 25 minutes to 30 minutes. Turn them over and let them char completely on the other side, with the grill covered, about 25 to 30 minutes more.

3. While the eggplants are roasting, place the tahini and lemon juice in a medium bowl and whisk them together until the mixture comes together and becomes fluffy. Set aside.

4. Remove the eggplants to a cutting board and cut them in half through the stem. Drain away any juice that accumulates. When the eggplants are cool enough to handle, use a spoon to scoop out the flesh, and your fingers to pull out big, long pieces. Place the flesh in a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl, and use a spoon to mash the flesh, letting the liquid run into the bowl. Once you’ve gotten as much liquid as possible out of the flesh, discard the liquid, and transfer the flesh to the bowl with the tahini and lemon.

5. Squish the garlic through a press into the blend, and add salt, along with the cumin, if using. Whisk everything together vigorously until well combined. Adjust seasoning, adding more salt and/or lemon juice if desired. Spread the baba ganoush on a serving plate or put it in a bowl, drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle on the parsley and serve with warm pita bread.