Baba ghanoush

In general I would class myself as a quick (or lazy) cook – a lot of the time my meals are produced in a big rush!  That being said, there are certain things that I really love and will happily expend the effort to make.  Baba ghanoush is one of those things.  Oddly enough I am not mad keen on brinjal – but there is something about the dip that I can’t get enough of.

The first time I made this was for a university project with two dear friends of mine.  We had to plan and make a lunch for 30 people and this was one of the dishes we chose to make and serve.  What we actually ended up doing was filling half a ramekin with hummus and half with baba ganoush – as long as the two dips are of similar consistency, they don’t mix – giving quite a nice effect.

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Baba ghanoush

Author: Cheryl Meyer, Registered Dietitian

Ingredients

• 1 kg aubergines (roughly 2 large brinjal)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 1 clove garlic (or ½ teaspoon crushed garlic)
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• juice of 1 lemon (about 2½ tablespoons)
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• a pinch of cayenne pepper
• fresh parsley (optional, to garnish)

Method

1. Cut the aubergine in half lenthways and brush the cut sides lightly with olive oil (about 1 tablespoon). Place on a baking sheet, cut side down and roast at 180°C until very tender (about 35 minutes).

2. Place the aubergine in a colander to drain and cool for 15 minutes, then scoop the flesh out of the skin.

3. Combine the aubergine, remaining olive oil, tahini, garlic, cumin, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, salt and cayenne pepper in a blender or food processor. Plulse until somewhat smooth but retaining some of its texture.

4. Allow the dip to sit for an hour at room temperature, then season to taste with additional lemon juice, salt and cayenne pepper. Garnish with parsley and serve.