Baba Ganoush (grilled or baked!)
This irresistibly delicious dip is savoury, creamy, and smoky. Whether you enjoy our baba ganoush with pita and veggies or as part of a mezze platter, you will be impressed at how eggplant is transformed into such a flavourful dip!
Baba ganoush is a smoky, flavourful dip made from roasted eggplant. It originated in the Middle East and is traditionally served as an appetizer (‘mezze’) with pita and veggies. This recipe has minimal ingredients, and most of the time spent on this recipe is simply waiting for the eggplant to roast. From there, the dip comes together real quick!
We’ve created two different ways to cook your eggplant to best suit your kitchen; grilled and baked. Grilling is our favourite way to create this recipe and traditionally how it’s made. By allowing the eggplants to char, they are infused with subtle smokey flavours. Baking is still a great option, and especially here in Ontario, it works for all seasons! To be honest, you will lose some of the smoky flavour by baking, but we make up for this with spices and even a dash of liquid smoke. Charring the eggplant on the grill is always a dream, but at least for us, baking is more practical in our small apartment with no grill.
Our baba ganoush recipe was extremely fun to develop because of its versatility, and we got to experiment with many different flavours. In its basic form, baba ganoush is a delicious combination of eggplant, tahini, garlic, and lemon. We roast the garlic because why not?! We’re already cooking the eggplant, plus you know by now that we are team roasted roasted garlic forever! The roasted garlic flavour adds so much depth to this dip. We played around with the spices and herbs, and by adding smoked paprika and fresh parsley… damn!!! It brings it to the next level.
After making this baba ganoush recipe once, you’re bound to fall in love with its simplicity and delicious flavour. It’s perfect for serving on your next charcuterie board (with our hummus 😉 ) or simply as a dip for your veggies on a lunch break. Let us know when you plan to enjoy this creamy, tasty dip!
Don’t forget to tag us in your creations – @smallkitchenbigplates
Baba Ganoush (grilled)
This irresistibly delicious dip is savoury, creamy, and smoky. Whether you enjoy our baba ganoush with pita and veggies or as part of a mezze platter, you will be impressed at how eggplant is transformed into such a flavourful dip!
Ingredients
- 2 medium eggplants
- 1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise
- 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
- 6 tablespoons tahini
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the BBQ to 400°F (204°C).
- Grill the garlic and eggplant. Place unpeeled, cut in half garlic on a sheet of foil, drizzle with 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil, and wrap a double layer of foil tightly around the garlic. Add the eggplants to the BBQ and grill until the skin is charred and the interior is very tender, turning occasionally. Both the garlic and eggplant will take about 35-40 minutes. Remove both from the BBQ, open the garlic package, and allow the garlic and cooked eggplant to cool for a few minutes.
- When cooled, scoop out the flesh of eggplants with a spoon, leaving the skin behind. Place the eggplant flesh in strainer, strain for a minimum of 10 minutes, and shake to release extra moisture. Discard this liquid.
- Meanwhile, squeeze the garlic cloves out of the peel, place garlic in a medium mixing bowl, and mash with a fork.
- Add the strained eggplant flesh into the mixing bowl with the mashed garlic and stir vigorously with a fork to break down the eggplant (about 1 min). Add tahini and lemon and continue to stir vigorously. The baba ganoush is ready when it’s pale in colour and creamy. Stir in the salt, cumin and smoked paprika.
- Transfer to a bowl, top with a drizzle of olive oil, sprinkle with fresh parsley and more smoked paprika, and enjoy!
Notes
- The baba ganoush will keep in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
- The double wrap of tinfoil on the garlic may seem like a lot, but it’s necessary to avoid burning on the BBQ.
- Depending on the size of the eggplants, you may have to cook them longer.
- Feel free to add more seasoning/toppings on the baba ganoush like pomegranate seeds, sumac, or cayenne for a kick of spice.
Baba Ganoush (Baked)
This irresistibly delicious dip is savoury, creamy, and smoky. Whether you enjoy our baba ganoush with pita and veggies or as part of a mezze platter, you will be impressed at how eggplant is transformed into such a flavourful dip!
Ingredients
- 2 medium eggplants
- 1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise
- 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
- 6 tablespoons tahini
- 1 lemon, juiced
- Dash of liquid smoke
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C).
- Place the eggplants on a lined baking sheet. On the same baking sheet, place the halves of garlic and drizzle with 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil. Bake until the skin is charred and the interior is very tender, turning occasionally. The eggplant will take about 35-40 minutes but the garlic might need to be removed around 30 minutes. Remove both from the oven and allow the garlic and cooked eggplant to cool for a few minutes.
- When cooled, scoop out the flesh of eggplants with a spoon, leaving the skin behind. Place the eggplant flesh in strainer; strain for a minimum of 10 minutes, and shake to release extra moisture. Discard this liquid.
- Meanwhile, squeeze the garlic cloves out of the peel, place garlic in a medium mixing bowl, and mash with a fork.
- Add the strained eggplant flesh into the mixing bowl with the mashed garlic and stir vigorously using a fork to break down the eggplant (about 1 min). Add tahini, lemon juice, and liquid smoke and continue to stir vigorously. The baba gnaoush is ready when it’s pale in colour and creamy. Stir in the salt, cumin, and smoked paprika.
- Transfer to a bowl, top with a drizzle of olive oil, sprinkle with fresh parsley and smoked paprika, and enjoy!
Notes
- The baba ganoush will keep in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
- Depending on the size of the eggplants, you may have to cook them longer.
- Feel free to add more seasoning/toppings on the baba ganoush like pomegranate seeds, sumac, or cayenne for a kick of spice.
smallkitchenbigplates 
Thanks girlies for giving me another Master Class in charcuterie additions. The photos are stunning, too!!
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