Let me tell you how you can win over the pickiest eaters with an irresistible Baba Ghanoush dish. With its smoky flavor, this Mediterranean delight is a flavor sensation you don’t want to miss.
Baba Ghanoush, known as Mutabbal, is a delectable appetizer across the Middle East. It’s tangy, garlicky, and plain delicious. It is served as part of a mezze or with roasted pita chips for brunch or a snack.
Baba Ghanoush is the ultimate Mediterranean side dish that combines eggplants, tahini, garlic, yogurt, and some lemon. That’s it! That’s all you need. It’s so easy to prepare, creamy, healthy, and (spoiler alert!) addictive!
Who’s Ready for Mutabbal?
Why Baba Ghanoush?
Well, here is a fun fact, in Arabic Baba means father, and Ghanoush means spoiled 😋. The name says it all. This side dish came all the way from the Middle East to conquer your taste buds with an explosion of flavors and textures.
Besides, Mutabbal is a healthy recipe, its ingredients are not just delicious but also adaptable to many types of diets.
It’s an affordable side dish, perfect if you’re on a budget.
Even though your eggplants have to stay in the oven for around an hour, assembling this recipe takes no more than 10 minutes.
There is no need to use a food processor. That’s how simple it is to prepare!
A creamy, smoky mixture of roasted eggplant, tahini, garlic, and lemon all whipped into a dreamy dip! Yep, move over hummus, Baba Ghanoush has stolen my heart! And guess what? I made my toddler love it too!
Ingredients
Eggplants: the main ingredient
Garlic: for extra flavor
Yogurt: for a creamy, and yummy touch
Tahini: the irresistible sesame seed flavor
Lemon Juice: for a citrusy twist
Salt: to taste
Pine nuts or almonds: for added texture
Olive oil: for brushing the eggplants
Check the recipe card for quantities.
The Best Baba Ghanoush Ever!
Easy Prep
First, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Secondly, cut each eggplant in half lengthwise and place them onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
After that, drizzle each eggplant slice with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil on the flesh side, then flip it to have the flesh face down on the sheet.
Then, place the peeled garlic cloves into a small pocket of foil, and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil on top.
After that, close the aluminum foil pocket and place it into the same tray.
Now, cover and place into the oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour. Remove it and let it cool.
Then, peel the skin and scoop the insides into a bowl, adding the yogurt, tahini, salt, and lemon juice.
After that, mash well, either using a potato masher or a fork.
Now it’s time to fry your desired amount of pine nuts or almonds in olive oil for extra flavor.
Finally, spoon over ready Mutabal, making sure to spoon some olive oil as well.
Impress your Guests with the Perfect Mutabbal
What to Pair with Baba Ghanoush
The beauty of Baba Ghanoush is that it pairs with almost everything. You can just spread it on some pita bread and enjoy. It’s also the perfect match for raw or grilled veggies like carrots, peppers, and cucumbers.
Now, if you want to prepare the traditional Mediterranean mezze, you can serve this recipe along with a delicious plate of Hummus Bil Lahme, next to a bowl of Tabbouli Salad Recipe (Tabbouleh).
You also have to try my Tender Grilled Steak Kebabs recipe with your Mutabbal. Another perfect match for this side dish is the epic Lebanese Fried Kibbeh Recipe.
How to Choose the Best Eggplants
The best eggplants for this recipe are dark purple, large, or medium-sized eggplants because they produce the best flavor.
Don’t choose ripe eggplants, it will give your recipe a bitter touch.
Your eggplant has to be shiny, that’s how you know that it’s fresh.
If the eggplant is too soft that you can squeeze it, that’s not the one that you want. It has to be firm, but not hard.
Go for the heavy ones because they will be juicy, not dry.
The skin of your eggplant has to be smooth, just to ensure it isn’t rotten on the inside.
Scoop Baba Ghanoush and Enjoy
Substitutions of Baba Ghanoush
If you would like a bowl of Baba Ghanoush but don’t have all the ingredients, feel free to adapt the recipe based on what you have in your pantry.
Fresh Garlic: You can use garlic powder instead of fresh garlic, but you have to be mindful of the potency. Start with a small amount of garlic powder and adjust to taste.
Lemon Juice: If you don’t have fresh lemons, you can use bottled lemon juice. You can also use lime juice, but it might give a slightly different citrus flavor.
Olive Oil: Neutral oils like sunflower or avocado oil may substitute for olive oil.
Roasted Eggplants: You can try to grill the eggplants until they are soft and then proceed with the recipe. This step adds a delicious smoky flavor to your dip.
Eggplant Lusciousness
Pro Tips for the Best Baba Ghanoush
You can substitute tahini for yogurt to make this recipe vegan-friendly.
If you’re not a fan of garlic, you can do less. I like it garlicky.
The lemon juice is also to taste, you can play according to your preferences.
You can bake your eggplants ahead of time.
Add some smoked paprika on top as an optional ingredient, and take this dip to another level of deliciousness.
After removing the eggplants from the oven, let them cool before you peel their skin.
You can mash the eggplants with a potato masher or a fork.
Storage Tips
Storing leftovers: You can store your Baba Ghanoush (Mutabbal) leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 to 6 days.
Surface covering: Once stored, the dip may dry out or develop skin. To prevent it, press a layer of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of Baba Ghanoush (Mutabbal) before sealing the container.
Freezing: If you want to free Baba Ghanoush, put it in an airtight container for up to 2 months. However, it might release extra liquids when defrosted.
Thawing and serving: It is better to transfer the Baba Ghanoush to the refrigerator to thaw overnight when you are ready to serve it. Be sure you stir it before serving to redistribute the separated oils and flavors.
Homemade Yumminess, Tantalize Your Taste Buds
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
You can, but keep in mind that anything that goes into the food processor might come out mushy and watery.
Baba Ghanoush’s main ingredient is eggplants while hummus is made with chickpeas.
Yes, you definitely can grill the eggplants.
Must-Try Recipes:
Honeycomb Bread (Khaliat Al Nahl)
Ful Medames Recipe (Stewed Fava Beans)
Garlic Sauce – Middle Eastern Toum
Palestinian Tatbeeleh (Shatta) (Spicy Salsa)
Palestinian Cauliflower Fritters (Emshat)
If you’ve tried this recipe, don’t forget to rate it and leave a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience. You can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Baba Ghanoush
Ingredients
- 2 large eggplants about 2 pounds
- 8 large garlic cloves you can do less
- ¼ cup yogurt
- ¼ cup tahini
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice or ¼ cup (to taste)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Toasted pine nuts or almonds
- 5 tablespoons olive oil for brushing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- Cut each eggplant in half lengthwise and place them onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
- Drizzle each eggplant slice with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil on the flesh side, then flip it to have the flesh face down on the sheet.
- Place the peeled garlic cloves into a small pocket of foil, and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil on top.
- Close the aluminum foil pocket and place it into the same tray.
- Cover and place into the oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour. Remove it and let it cool.
- Peel the skin and scoop the insides into a bowl, adding the yogurt, tahini, salt, roasted garlic and lemon juice.
- Mash well, either using a potato masher or a fork.
- Fry your desired amount of pine nuts or almonds in olive oil for extra flavor.
- Spoon over ready Mutabal, making sure to spoon some olive oil as well.
Notes
- You can substitute tahini for the yogurt to make this recipe vegan-friendly.
- If you’re not a fan of garlic, you can do less. I like mine garlicky.
- The lemon juice is also to taste, you can play according to your preferences.
- You can bake your eggplants ahead of time.
- Add some smoked paprika on top as an optional ingredient, and take this dip to another level of deliciousness.
- After removing the eggplants from the oven, let them cool before you peel their skin.
- You can mash the eggplants with a potato masher or a fork.
Was surprised how delicious this was and how easy it is to make!!! Honestly just as good as the best restaurants that make it and even better than most… Only thing I would like better is to try the grilling version next time to get more of that Smokey flavor to it !
Could not believe how delicious this was and how easy it is to make!!! Honestly just as good as the best restaurants that make it and even better than most… Only thing I would like better is to try the grilling version next time to get more of that Smokey flavor to it !
Is the red garnish on top sumac or paprika?
And is it green leafy garnish parsley or cilantro?
sumac and parsley
Tried this and it was so yummmy. Thank you for all these easy recipes. May Allah bless you! Ameen