NB Takes on Traditional Baba Ghanoush

    Middle Eastern food includes some of my favorite foods. Because Middle Eastern cooking tends to have some similarities to South Asian cooking, I have a long familiarity with these dishes, but rarely actually make them.

    Baba ghanoush is a healthy dip made from eggplant, garlic, lemon, tahini (sesame seed paste), and parsley. When paired with hummus and whole wheat pita bread, it makes for a balanced snack or appetizer.

    The eggplant can be baked or grilled. This recipe uses baked eggplant for the baba ghanoush and is my take on a traditional baba ghanoush recipe.

Ingredients

2 large eggplants

2 garlic cloves

Juice from 1 lemon

½ cup parsley

⅔ cup tahini

salt and pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450oF.

2. Rinse and place eggplant in a glass baking dish. Using a fork, pierce the eggplants all over.

3. Bake in oven for 30 minutes.

4. Chop and combine parsley, tahini, lemon juice and garlic into a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth consistency. Place into a mixing bowl.

5. Once eggplant is fully cooked, peel off skin and stems.

6. Dice the eggplant so finely that it becomes a paste. Place eggplant pulp into bowl with baba ghanoush seasonings. Whip until an even consistency.

7. Serve with sliced pita bread and hummus.