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Thanks for visiting Umami Girl. I'm Carolyn Cope, and since 2008 I've been blogging here about a lifestyle based on whole foods, mostly plants. Over the years Umami Girl has grown from a resource for the members of a Community Supported Farm I helped organize into a large and vibrant community of smart, free-thinking people. We really dig improving people's lives by making nourishing food irresistible and providing food for thought -- but we are so not fans of preachiness or that creepy self-help vibe. (You know the one I mean.)

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Carolyn

Baba Ghanoush

When I told the girls I’d made baba ghanoush, the seven-year-old said, “Oh! I didn’t realize that was a real thing.” Poor kid never had a chance to know. For her whole life, Cope has been using “baba ghanoush” as a fake answer to questions. Daddy, what comes after a trillion? Baba ghanoush. It’s not what made him marriage material, I’ll say that much. But now that the girls are getting older, I no longer have to decide whether to spend some of my daily marital goodwill allowance on rolling my eyes at that kind of baba ghanoush. I wouldn’t have the chance if I wanted to. The girls are all over it.

Perhaps you yourself are older than seven and/or do not have a dad who likes to see you roll your eyes — and perhaps you are already aware that baba ghanoush is a real thing. Good on ya! Did you also know that it’s simple to make at home? And that it’s packed full of complex flavor that all comes from a short list of healthy ingredients?

I totally knew all that, and I totally think about baba ghanoush kind of a weird amount. Still, I hadn’t thought to make it in quite a while, until I saw this post from Marc at No Recipes and simply couldn’t rest until I made it. And ate it all in one day. Daddy, why is mommy passed out on the dining room floor with a big smile on her face? Baba ghanoush, girls. Baba ghanoush.

Recipe: Baba Ghanoush

The key to making great baba ghanoush lies in not being afraid to char the bejesus out of the eggplants — it gives the flesh a beautifully smoky flavor after you peel away the skin. You can do it directly on a gas burner, on a grill, or in a broiler. The skin should be completely black and the center of the eggplants thoroughly cooked before you call it a day. Just don’t forget to tear open the shutters and throw up the sash (and turn on the exhaust fan) so the house won’t smell too smoky.

Ingredients

2 medium eggplants (about two pounds total, but don’t sweat it)
1/3 cup tahini
Juice of one lemon
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Olive oil, for drizzling
Chopped fresh parsley or cilantro, to garnish

Instructions

To char the eggplants, either set them directly on a lit gas burner or grill, or place in the oven a few inches below the heat source with the broiler on high. Allow the skin to turn completely black and flaky on the first side, then turn the eggplants with long-handled tongs to begin charring on the next side. Continue turning the eggplants every few minutes until all sides are charred. The process will take 10 to 15 minutes. You’ll know you’re done when all the skin is charred and the eggplants are soft all the way through to the middle. Expect some drips and minor flare-ups. It’s worth it. (But please be careful.) Set eggplants on a plate to cool.
When eggplants are cool enough to handle, remove the stems and peel away and discard as much of the skin as possible. You want to get rid of most of it, but don’t worry if there are little bits left on here and there.
Add the eggplant flesh, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, salt, cumin, and pepper to a food processor fitted with the blade. Pulse to blend thoroughly. (Alternatively, you can grate the garlic on a rasp and then just mash up all the ingredients in a bowl with a fork.) Taste and adjust seasoning.
Scrape baba ghanoush into a serving bowl, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with pita wedges or crackers.

Preparation time: 10 minute(s)

Cooking time: 15 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 6

6 comments

Denise @ TLT - The Little Things

I totally agree with you about the importance of charring, that smoking flavour is so delicious. I truly love hummus, but a good baba ghanoush…that’s even better. Love your pictures too!

Sue/the view from great island

This is so funny, it sounds exactly like my husband…I’m more of a humous kind of gal, and I’ve never actually made baba ghanoush, but yours looks so good I think I will. The eggplant always look sleek and shiny at my market all through the year, and I always have tahini around. I love your photos and I’m glad to have found your blog, I’ll be back!

Jill Silverman Hough

I think that “baba ghanoush” is a GREAT answer to questions like “what comes after a billion”!!! Your husband is a genius for thinking of it, and you’re a genius for marrying him. I also love that you used a word like “bejesus” in a recipe. More brilliance!