Years ago, I learned to make some Lebanese dishes from watching (and helping) college friends cook a few classics, but my main teacher was a cookbook called Lebanese Cuisine by Madelain Farah. The version I have is from 1979, meaning it predates the internet. (And no, I wasn’t in college in 1979; I bought the cookbook some years later). Despite there being so many delicious Lebanese recipes now available online, I still find myself going back to this well-loved, well-spattered, paperback cookbook for some of my favorites. It has accompanied me on many moves and is now held together with tape.
Ms. Farah was a straightforward recipe writer; no coddling of the reader for her. In her recipe for Baba Ghanoush (which she calls Baba Ghannuj, as there are many ways to spell it), the first instruction is written this way: “Eggplant may be baked or grilled over a flame until well done.” There’s a lot of room for interpretation in those instructions…. Ms Farah was also a proponent of mashing the ingredients, either with a potato masher or a wooden mallet. I now use a food processor, which may be anathema in some quarters, but it produces a silky smooth dip.
So, this recipe takes its inspiration from Madelain Farah’s, with a few twists: I added smoked paprika and cumin, which play on the smokiness of the eggplant and really help bring out its flavor. And I use a faster blending technique.
Baba Ghanoush
Ingredients:
2 medium eggplants (2 lb/900 gr total). Note: Ms Farah called for one large eggplant, but the larger the eggplant, the more seeds there are, so I prefer using two smaller ones. (Since I grow eggplant in my garden each summer, I can pick them at just the right size!).
olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced (we like garlic in our house; you can use 1 clove as the recipe originally called for)
1/4 c. (60 gr.) tahini
1/4 c. (60 ml.) lemon juice, or more to taste
1/4 tsp. smoked paprika
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. salt, to taste
1 tbsp. (15 ml.) water (optional)
To garnish:
–chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
–smoked paprika and cumin (or, substitute the paprika and cumin with sumac, which is a more traditional topping and one Ms. Farah suggested; both options taste great)
–olive oil
Preparation:
Cooking method #1: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Cut the eggplant(s) in half lengthwise, and brush a generous amount of olive oil on the cut sides. Place the cut sides down on a large baking sheet (use a rimmed one as the eggplant will get juicy). Bake for about 30-45 minutes until the eggplant is dark golden brown and very, very soft.
Cooking method #2: Grill the eggplant(s) cut side down on a barbecue, until golden and soft, taking care not to completely incinerate them (some burnt bits are ok and add to the flavor, but a carbonized eggplant is a step too far; I say this from experience).
Flip the eggplants over and let cool.
Scoop out the eggplant pulp and place in the bowl of a food processor, carefully removing any skin that may have made its way in, too. Also, check for big clumps of seeds; individual seeds are fine and will get blended right up, but I like to take out any big clusters if I see them, to ensure a smoother dip.
Add the remaining dip ingredients and process until nice and smooth, adjusting the ingredients to suit your taste. If the dip is too thick, you can add more lemon juice or a spoonful of water.
Pour the dip into a serving bowl. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and more smoked paprika and cumin (or use sumac instead); drizzle with olive oil.
Serve with pita bread, pita chips, and/or veggies — or use in a Middle Eastern wrap as a substitute for hummus. I also love putting Baba Ghanoush, lamb kafta, and some tabouli in a pita and calling it a meal.
Perennial Pastimes 