Scooping the flesh out of the papery skins is easy enough: Seal says that some Turkish cooks also reject any flesh that is even slightly discoloured, but, like her, I enjoy the "intense smoky flavour" these bits supply, so I won't be wasting any. Make sure you drain any excess liquid from the aubergine once they’re cooked so that the dish isn’t too runny and has a strong flavour. While I 100% recommend using tahini to make the most authentic baba ganoush, I know not everyone is a fan of its flavor. If you are not a fan of tahini, try reducing the amount called for in our recipe below — use 2 tablespoons instead of a 1/4 cup. Make Ahead and Storing Step 4: Stir the roasted eggplant into the tahini mixture. I use a spoon to scoop out the soft flesh and then use a fork to mash it into the tahini and lemon juice mixture. I like some texture so I don’t use a food processor to make baba ganoush. A fork works perfectly fine!

Ottolenghi adds 75ml olive oil to his, which makes sense as he's not using tahini, but as I am, I prefer to do as Helou suggests and ring the dish with oil instead in the traditional fashion, so each dipped pitta gets a little of both. Helou and Ottolenghi also suggest garnishing the dish with pomegranate seeds, which look pretty if you have them, but are less vital than the chopped herbs that most people suggest as a topping. More eggplant recipes: We love roasting eggplant since it develops so much flavor. Here’s another roasted eggplant dish with a warm and toasty spice blend. I also love this roasted eggplant parmesan. Don’t Skip the Tahini Step 2: Switch the oven to bake and roast the eggplants until very soft. For the very best baba ganoush, the flesh of the eggplant needs to be very soft. Roasting time will vary based on how large the eggplants are. I simply roast until they look like they are caving in and a fork can very easily pierce through the flesh. broiler off, but do not remove eggplants from the oven. Heat oven to 375 degrees F, and then roast eggplants until very soft; 25 to 30 minutes. Cool 10 to 15 minutes until easily handled.

Disclaimer

To get a delicious smoky flavour in your baba ganoush we’d recommend cooking it on the grill, over a gas flame or over a BBQ to get a good char on the skin. Gradually add the oil so it that combines into a smooth creamy mixture instead of adding it all in one way, this way it emulsifies better with the wet ingredients. Slit the aubergines lengthways and scoop out the flesh in long strands, discarding the skins. Put in a sieve and leave to drain for 30 minutes, or squeeze out if you're in a hurry. Season. Tahini is a paste made from sesame seeds with a consistency similar to almond or peanut butter. You’ll often find it used in hummus, salad dressings, and dips. It can be found in most grocery stores. Just look near the international or Mediterranean foods and we bet you’ll find it. You can also buy it online.

the eggplants roast, combine tahini, lemon juice, garlic, cumin and the salt in a medium bowl. Set aside so the flavors meld. Step 1: Broil whole eggplants to char the skins. This step lightly chars the outsides of the eggplant, which adds a smoky flavor. You can also char the skin of the eggplants using a grill or even a gas burner. Parsley and mint are the most usual choices; Ottolenghi uses both, and Helou suggests either/or, while everyone else plumps for one or the other, except Lebovitz, who goes for parsley or coriander. I'm not sure about the latter's soapy flavour here: the peppery sharpness of parsley seems more fitting, but best of all, in my opinion, is sweet mint, which pairs very nicely with the aubergine.This recipe involves grilling the aubergine to remove the skin and cook the flesh, this also gives a smokier flavour, but you can also use an oven set to as high as it will go to bake the aubergine for around 40 mins until the flesh softens and the skins darkens. I don’t use a food processor to make baba ganoush. A fork is perfect for mashing the roasted eggplant into a flavorful, somewhat chunky mixture of tahini, lemon juice, and spices. If you have a gas hob or barbecue then removing the skin by charring it over the flame will give a smokier flavour. This is easy to do but you need to use long-handled tongs to turn the aubergine as each patch blisters. Even after all that cooking, aubergines are watery little things, and if you're not to stray into blandly soggy territory, you need to squeeze as much liquid out of them as possible. This is generally done with patience and gravity, but Seal and Roden both suggest squeezing the flesh out in a sieve, rather than letting it drain for Ottolenghi's "hour at least, preferably longer", and I must say that, if done diligently, the results seem just as good.