In some parts of the world the aubergine is called eggplant. I live in England, so in this article, I am going to refer to it as ‘aubergine’.

What’s not to love about the aubergine! When picked raw it has a sort of spongy, proud texture. It comes in lots of different colours and varieties and is used in a myriad of different dishes all around the world. The aubergine collapses on cooking to create a ‘meaty’ or ‘creamy’ consistency (a creamy texture is often found in Asian varieties and a meaty texture in European varieties).

Today, I am sharing my Baba Ganoush recipe – Trinity’s Conscious Kitchen style.

Baba ganoush is perfect for eating as part of a mezze plater; with a salad; as a baked potato filling; dunking with carrot or celery sticks; or scooping up with flatbreads or crackers.

Traditionally, the aubergine would be baked or grilled over an open flame before peeling. That makes it soft and gives it a smoky taste. However, I am not baking mine over an open flame in the recipe. Instead I am keeping it simple and doing what I usually do – cooking it in the oven.

I add a hint of smoked paprika, to give it that perfect smokey taste.

I bake my aubergine until soft. If your aubergine is quite watery (as most of them can be) then it’s best to drain off quite a bit of the excess water. If there is too much water, then you won’t get it to creamy up as well as you might like. I use a colander or sieve and let it drain out for a minute or two. You could also squeeze it out by hand if you prefer. A little water will be fine (you just don’t want loads).

OK my mouth is watering – let’s make this together!

Creamy Baba Ganoush with a Hint of Smoked Paprika (easy vegan recipe) Yield: 4 portions Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 40 minutes Total Time: 45 minutes A delicious, creamy baba ganoush recipe. A smoky aubergine (eggplant) dip from the Middle East, using a pinch of smoked paprika for a gentle smoked flavour. Print Ingredients 1 large aubergine/eggplant (about 1/2 kg or 1 lb in weight)

1 small garlic clove

1 tablespoon (approx) lemon juice

2 tablespoons tahini

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon smoked ground paprika (big pinch to taste)

Twist black pepper Optional garnish Drizzle hemp oil

Few parsley sprigs

Sprinkle ground paprika Instructions Score through the aubergine (also called eggplant) several times with a sharp knife. This is important to stop it bursting open in the oven when you bake it. Bake it in a hot oven at gas mark 7 (425F or 220C) between 40 & 60 minutes (or until soft). Once baked, allow to cool. When cool, scoop out the contents. If your aubergine is quite watery (as most of them can be) then it's best to drain off quite a bit of the excess water. If there is too much water, then you won't get it to creamy up as well as you might like. Use a colander or sieve and let it drain for a minute or two. When ready put the strained aubergine into a jug or food processor. Crush the garlic clove and add to jug. Add lemon juice, tahini, sea salt, smoked paprika and pepper. Blend until creamy smooth (I normally do this with a hand blender, but a food processor or jug blender will well work too). Chill before serving. Add optional garnish of parsley, smoked paprika or hemp oil, if you like, when serving.

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