Homemade Baba Ganoush (Eggplant Dip) Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are the ingredients for baba ganoush? ›

In its most basic form, baba ganoush is made with eggplant, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and salt. I found that adding a tiny bit of ground cumin, smoked paprika and fresh parsley takes it to the next level. Baba ganoush is similar to hummus, but it calls for grilled or roasted eggplant instead of chickpeas.

If your Baba Ganoush tastes bitter, add a half teaspoon of baking soda at a time and blend well (tasting in between) to remove bitterness from the dish.

Yes, baba ganoush is healthy. The main ingredient is eggplant, which is low in calories and carbohydrates and high in fiber. It's also a good source of vitamins and minerals like potassium and vitamin K. It's also lower in calories than hummus since it's mostly made of eggplant versus chickpeas.

Baba ganoush (also known as baba ghanouj or baba ghanoush) is one of the most popular dips in Lebanese cuisine—and at my table! That is because the flavor of this creamy dip is so bright and smokey. It's luscious texture goes with dippers of every sort: crackers, pita chips, pita wedges, fresh veggies, you name it.

3) Health – Both dishes are very healthy, but baba ganoush has a slight edge here with more vitamins from the eggplant and a lower calorie count. 4) Big meal to come – Get baba ganoush, it's less filling than hummus.

Homemade baba ganoush can be stored in the fridge in a tight-lid container for about 4 days or so (some say up to a week, but mine never lasts that long).

Baba Ghanoush may taste bitter due to factors like the choice of eggplant, insufficient roasting, or the use of too much garlic, lemon juice, or low-quality tahini.

Now don't get me wrong, hummus is just as delicious. But this dip has an insanely scrumptious smoky flavor – all thanks to the method of charring eggplants on a grill.

Undercooked eggplant is often bitter, especially if you're using a thick-skinned globe eggplant commonly found at most grocery stores. Peel the skin or taste and cook the eggplant for a little longer if that's the case.

In Arabic baba means father and ghanoush means spoiled. This Spoiled dad dip is the creamier companion to hummus. Popular in Arab countries throughout the Middle East, it is also a common appetizer on the Sephardic Jewish table.

Do you eat baba ganoush hot or cold? ›

Baba Ghanoush is delicious. Made with eggplant that's been fire roasted (either on a hot grill or under a broiler) to the point of shriveling, it can be served as a side dish. Typically, though, it's a cold or room temperature spread, served with pita bread or crostini or crusty French bread… or a spoon.

What to Serve with Baba Ganoush. My favorite way to serve baba ganoush is as an appetizer or snack with crisp veggies and pita bread. You could also serve it as the creamy dip in a summer crudité platter or make an epic Mediterranean appetizer board with pita chips, tzatziki, hummus, and fresh or grilled veggies.

baba ghanoush, relish with Middle Eastern origins that is made of eggplant (aubergine) blended with tahini, garlic, lemon juice, and salt. The Arabic term for the dish means “pampered daddy,” the person in question being, legend has it, a sultan spoiled with a concoction invented by a member of his harem.

If you prefer chickpeas over eggplants, then hummus it is. If eggplants taste better for you, then baba ganoush. Nonetheless, there is actually no need to choose between the two. If you don't have a specific preference, it is okay if you choose both—both can go well with pita bread after all.

Baba Ghanoush is eaten in many Middle Eastern countries such as Syria, Lebanon and extending as far as the territorial reach of the Ottoman empire. But Baba Ghanoush also is big in Brazil and West India. Romanians and Greeks also consume the appetizer.

The difference is that roasted eggplant forms the base for baba ganoush while chick peas are the backbone of hummus. The roasted eggplant lends this eggplant dip a slightly sweeter, smokier flavor, and a lower fat and calorie count than hummus. Plus it can be easier on the tummy than hard-to-digest chickpeas.

baba ghanoush

The Arabic term for the dish means “pampered daddy,” the person in question being, legend has it, a sultan spoiled with a concoction invented by a member of his harem.