Roasted Garlic Eggplant Dip (Baba Ghanouj)
My love of Middle Eastern-style dips runs DEEP. I seem to recall that foods like hummus & baba ghanouj were included in my first foray into eating healthily and more importantly, discovering new, rich & complex flavours.
roasted garlic eggplant dip | kulaskitchen.com
Although hummus is still one of my true loves, I’ve come to realize over the years that eating it in large quantities can upset my tum. And let me tell you - I’m not eating hummus in small quantities, ever.
roasted garlic eggplant dip | kulaskitchen.com
To me, the next best thing is an eggplant dip, or baba ghanouj. It includes that ultra-creamy, nutty flavour of tahini (possibly my favourite ingredient), as well as a bright splash of lemon and a slightly smokey taste from the roasted eggplant.
roasted garlic eggplant dip | kulaskitchen.com
I took this dip up to another level by roasting some garlic alongside the eggplant, to add a sweet, mellow garlic flavour. It only takes a few extra seconds and is SO worth it! This dip comes together fairly quickly and includes only a few simple ingredients, so you should definitely make it ASAP.
roasted garlic eggplant dip | kulaskitchen.com
ENJOY my friends!
roasted garlic eggplant dip | kulaskitchen.com
Roasted Garlic Eggplant Dip (Baba Ghanouj)
Ingredients
1 large eggplant, sliced in half lengthwise
1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra
Sea salt + black pepper
2 heads of garlic
½ tsp sea salt
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
¼ cup tahini
Fresh herbs, for topping (parsley is excellent)
Method
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and drizzle a baking sheet generously with olive oil. Place your eggplant halves cut-side down on the baking sheet and coat with 1 tbsp of olive oil, then sprinkle both sides generously with salt and pepper. Slice the tops off your heads of garlic to expose the cloves, then drizzle each one with a bit of olive oil and salt and wrap them individually in small squares of foil. Place them on the baking sheet with the eggplant and roast everything for 30-35 minutes or until the eggplant is very soft and the cut sides are charred.
Set eggplant aside to cool and unwrap the garlic from the foil. Let them cool as well before using a fork to squeeze the cloves out of the heads of garlic. They should be very soft and slide out easily.
Roughly chop your cooled eggplant and place in a blender with the roasted garlic cloves, sea salt, lemon juice and tahini. Blend until slightly smooth but with some chunks remaining. Taste and add more salt and lemon if desired.
Serve topped with fresh herbs and an extra drizzle of olive oil if desired. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Serves 4
