Smoky, tangy baba ghanoujfeatured

by Dahlia Morched on January 21, 2025

Posted in All recipes, Condiments, dips and sauces, Sides, Vegan, Vegetarian

Smoky from the fire-roasted eggplants, creamy from the smooth and silky tahina, and a hint of tartness from the pomegranate molasses, this smoky, tangy baba ghanouj hits all the best notes.

baba ghanouj garnished with pomegranate, parsley and olive oil

Baba ghanouj, is an eggplant dip commonly eaten in the countries of the Levant and Egypt. Literally meaning “pampered daddy” in Arabic (don’t ask me), its name can be translitered as baba ghanoug (with a hard G in Egyptian dialect) or baba ghanoush, and in some regions its referred to by a far less quirky name-muttabal. Whatever you call it, is my absolute favourite dip. While hummus may be king in popularity, baba ghanouj is king in bold flavours.

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Key Ingredients

While the methods, spicing and texture can vary by cook or by and region, baba ghanouj generally consists of eggplant, tahina, lemon juice, and garlic. While the eggplants can be cooked in various ways, fire-roasting is preferred to lend its signature intense smoky flavour.

My version also uses pomegranate molasses, which adds a tart and tangy profile. Eggplant and pomegranate are a beautiful matchup. For another recipe to combines these two ingredients, check out my recipe for Eggplant Fattah or fattet betigan- eggplant cooked in a pomegranate, tomato meat sauce, served over crunch pita and topped with a yogurt tahina sauce, or my Egyptian pickled eggplant with walnuts and pomegranates, yum!

Eggplant

When choosing your eggplants for this dish, you will want to look for some small-medium sized eggplants, such as Italian eggplants. If globe eggplants are the only ones available, choose the smallest you can find. Their skin should be shiny and taut, and it should feel heavy for it’s size.

Tahina

Or tahini, is a Middle Eastern pantry staple made by crushing sesame seeds into a paste. It has endless uses in dips, sauces, salad dressings and even baked goods. A good tahina will be pourable and not too thick, and will not be bitter. The quality of your tahina can really make or break your finished product. I highly recommend Al’Ard Palestinian Tahini and Al Kanater Lebanese Tahini.

Pomegranate molasses

Another pantry staple and by far my personal favourite, pomegranate molasses is a thick tangy reduction of pomegranate juice. It’s flavour profile is often compared to balsamic vinegar, but it has more body and sweetness. It is divinely delicious. You can find it in any Middle Eastern grocery. My preferred brand is Cortas and can be found here online.

Olive oil

Olive oil is used for drizzling over the baba ghanouj, the only garnish that I would consider mandatory for this recipe. Make sure to use a high quality olive oil, like a Palestinian one from Al’Ard brand or this great Lebanese option, Litani Olive Oil.

Spices

I use only cumin in this recipe. If you have cumin seeds, toasting and freshly grinding them is recommended but by no means necessary. Other spice options include paprika to amp up the smokiness or sumac to amplify the tart flavours.

Lemon

Use the juice of fresh lemons here to add acidity and balance the earthy tahina.

Cooking your eggplant

In order to make an intensely smoky baba ghanouj, you need to roast the eggplant on a fire. This is commonly done at home on a gas stove-top, and I will show you how to do it.

If you do not have a gas stove, roasting the eggplant on an outdoor gas or charcoal grill will yield equally delicious results.

If neither gas stove nor outdoor grill are available, you can roast the eggplant on a sheet pan in your oven under the broiler. This will still yield a bit of smokiness, but if the first two options are available, I highly recommend them.

You may never have thought of cooking anything directly on your gas stove flame, but it is really simple. It is also my preferred method for toasting pita or other flat bread!

How to roast your eggplant on the stove, step by step

Firstly, wash your eggplant and remove any produce stickers. Lay them on the stove grate right about the burner, and begin roasting over a medium-high flame:

Using a set of kitchen tongs (I love these by Oxo!) carefully rotate the eggplants while they roast, making sure that you char all sides until the skin begins burning off.

Make sure to cook the eggplants thoroughly. They will be ready once they appear deflated and are soft all the way through.

Once your eggplants are fully cooked, use your tongs to transfer them to a medium size bowl. Cover the bowl with a plate to capture the smoke and steam, and set aside to cool.

Once the eggplant is cool enough to handle, peel away the skin. I like to do this using my hands. Remove the skin and pick off some of the charred black bits, but its ok to leave some as they will contribute to the smoky goodness.

They should like like so:

charred then peeled eggplant — Charred then peeled eggplant ready to become baba ghanouj

Making your baba ghanouj

Next you will place the eggplants on a cutting board. Using a chef’s knife, remove the stem and coarsely chop the eggplants. You can also pull them apart, shredding the flesh with your hands.

Then begin chopping back and forth repeatedly over the cutting board until you have a chunky paste like situation.

Now your eggplant is ready to become a pampered daddy!

coarsely chopped roasted eggplant destined to become baba ghanouj

Toss your eggplant into a mixing bowl, along with the tahina, cumin, salt, garlic, and half of the lemon juice and pomegranate molasses. Mash with a fork until you achieve your desired texture. I love it with plenty of meaty eggplant chunks!

Taste your blend and adjust as necessary. I generally like it assertively tangy and will use a full 2 TBS or more of pomegranate molasses and an entire lemon. If you ever feel its too tart, add a touch more tahina to balance it out.

As with everything, adjust the salt to your liking.

Transfer the baba ghanouj to the refrigerator to cool for at least one hour, but I prefer to leave it overnight for the flavours to fully mingle.

Garnishing your baba ghanouj

Once you are ready to eat, plate your baba ghanouj, and top with your desired garnishes. I consider a generous drizzle of olive to be mandatory, but some ideas for option garnishes include parsley, paprika for added smokiness, toasted pine nuts for some crunch, or my personal favourite- pomegranate arils for a bright and fresh textural element.

Bel hana wel shifa! Enjoy!

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