Baba Ganoush Recipe – A Middle Eastern Side Dish With a Kick

I love good dips, especially when they’re from the middle east and/or don’t involve ranch dressing! Don’t get me wrong, ranch has its place (usually in the trash) but this is, by far, one of my favorites.

It’s a baba ganoush recipe I modified slightly from a recipe I got from a man at a farmer’s market.

I think you’ll love it, too.

Unlike most baba ganoush recipes, this one has a bit of a kick to it because I add a bit of cayenne pepper. If you have an aversion to heat, you can leave it out, but I recommend trying it anyway.

It’s not as hot as you might think, but it’s definitely there!

Here’s what you’ll need to make it. The measurements are at the end of the post. My baba ganoush is a savory blend of eggplant, garlic, tahini, olive oil, lime juice, cayenne pepper powder, salt, and cumin powder.

Baba Ganoush recipe: Start fresh

The key to a great baba ganoush recipe is to always use fresh eggplant – sometimes referred to as aubergine, if you’re fancier than me!

You gotta start with fresh eggplant.

How to prepare eggplant for baba ganoush

First, peel the eggplants and slice them up into slices that are about 1 inch (or 2 centimeters) thick. Lightly cover them in salt and let them sit for a while in a colander.

Adding salt pulls the moisture out of the eggplant and usually takes about an hour or so to do it.

When you see that a lot of water has come out, rinse the eggplant slices off and pat them dry. Then, pop them in a 400°F (200°C) oven on a baking sheet for about 45 minutes. Turn them over halfway through so that they bake evenly.

You’ll want a little bit of a char on them, but not too, too much! That char will give your baba ganoush recipe a nice smoky flavor that really hits the spot!

Making the baba ganoush recipe

When your eggplant slices are finished baking, let them cool for a bit, but not till they’re cold. Then throw it all in a food processor and smush that stuff to smithereens.

As you can see from the photo below, I add a LOT more cayenne pepper powder and cumin to my baba ganoush recipe than normal, sane people! That’s because I love both. You can use as much or as little as you like – but maybe follow the recipe the first time.

Tip: I prefer to use whole cumin seeds. You can toast the seeds for a bit in a dry frying pan and then grind them up in a mortar & pestle (alternatively, in a clean coffee grinder)

Here’s the end product

This baba ganoush recipe makes an end product that’s absolutely delicious! It’s hard not to just take a spoon and eat it as is, but resist the temptation.

Baba ganoush is to classy people what ranch is to the rest of us. Advertising on the TV tells us that ranch is a great way to make kids eat their vegetables (and get fat in the process).

Baba ganoush is another way.

Use it as a dip for the fresh vegetables you bring to a party.

Guests will love it!

More dips: Looking for other dips? Try these 4 dips (with another babaganoush recipe).

Baba ganoush ingredients

2 medium eggplants – peel & roast for 45 minutes on 400.
3 cloves of garlic (I always double this)
2 Tbsp Tahini
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp lime juice
1 tsp red pepper powder (optional if you’re a pussy)
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cumin powder

Enjoy!

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Michael

Michael is originally from Canada but now resides in Atlanta, GA with his husband, Halef, who also writes here. He is a Couchsurfing expert. Michael has traveled to over 50 countries learning how to experience more for less as he travels.