Baba Ganoush is a Middle Eastern vegan eggplant dip that not only tastes great but also has a lovely texture that you will fall in love with! It’s made with roasted smoky eggplant, tomatoes, onion, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, and salt!

If you’re looking for a creamy tahini eggplant dip recipe, then you must be looking for Mutabbal, not baba ganoush.

People often confuse Baba Ganoush with Mutabbal, and it drives me crazy! If I go on Google and type “Baba Ganoush” I get Mutabbal recipes instead. The original Baba Ganoush recipe DOES NOT contain any tahini. I wonder who started this and introduced Mutabbal as Baba Ganoush? So today I’m here answering all of your questions about Baba Ganoush, how is it different to Mutabbal, how to make it, how to enjoy it, etc. So please keep reading!

Middle Eastern Mezze

One of my favorite things about Middle Eastern cuisine is the Mezze. Mezza means a collection of different great tasting little dishes, that you would normally eat with pita bread and are served as appetizers before the main course arrives. Of course, there is cold mezze and warm mezze, some dishes are vegan or vegetarian but others are meaty. In general, mezze contains a lot of vegetables which is always a win!

I post Middle Eastern mezze recipes quite often on the blog, so here’s baba ghanoush recipe to be added to the list. But make sure to check out my Middle Eastern recipe collection for more great recipes!

Baba Ganoush dip originated from the Middle East, and it’s popular in the Arab countries (you can find it on the menu at any Arab restaurant).

What is the difference between Baba Ganoush and Mutabbal?

Baba Ghanoush is often confused with Mutabbal, and I really feel the need to explain the difference between these two Middle Eastern appetizers . Mutabbal is made with eggplant, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and tahini (ground sesame sauce). And Baba Ghanoush is made with eggplant, onion, tomato, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, and no tahini! They look very different, the texture is different, and the taste is also very different. If you ask me which one is my favorite , I’d say both!

What ingredients do you need to make Baba Ganoush?

To make Baba Ganoush dip, you will need:

Eggplant

Tomato

Onion

Garlic

Fresh parsley

Lemon juice

Olive oil

Pomegranate molasses

Salt

Sumac and fresh mint leaves for garnish

How to make Baba Ganoush?

Preparing this recipe is much simpler than it looks. You have to roast an eggplant, mash it, add chopped onions, tomatoes, parsley. And then add lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and salt. You could also add pomegranate molasses but that’s totally optional. Give the mixture a good mix, add all the garnishes and serve! This dish is usually served with freshly baked pita bread, not necessarily but usually along with other mezze dishes.

How to roast an eggplant?

There are many ways to roast an eggplant:

Roast it by placing it directly over the stovetop and turn it side to side until the skin is burnt and pulp or flesh is soft and tender. Bake it in the oven. Score the eggplant using a knife, then wrap with foil and bake for 40-50 minutes. Turn it around twice while cooking. Slice your eggplant in half then place it on a baking tray and bake on 180c for 50 minutes.

The easiest and most traditional way to roast the eggplant is by placing it directly over the stovetop as it only takes 15 minutes (but then you’ll have to clean the stove! Totally worth it though). You will get that lovely smoky taste if you roast it over direct flame on the stovetop.

How to roast an eggplant over the stove top on direct flame

My favorite and easiest way to roast an eggplant is by placing it directly over the flame on the stovetop (you can also do this on induction, just don’t forget to wrap it in foil first so that the liquids don’t drip all over the induction hob). It takes just 15 minutes to roast and gives a very lovely smoky taste to the eggplant.

Start by placing the eggplant directly over the flame. If roasting 2 eggplants, then roast each on a separate flame.

The eggplant will start to cook, so use metal tongs to turn it over occasionally so it’s cooked evenly from all sides. If you have an induction hob, it works exactly the same way.

When the eggplant becomes flaky from the outside, but the flesh is soft, it means that the eggplant is ready. The skin will be burnt, and the juices will start coming out and that’s okay.

Remove the eggplant from the stove, and set aside on a metal tray and let it cool down slightly. You will have to peel the burnt skin off while the eggplant is still warm, as it becomes a bit too difficult to peel once the eggplant cools down completely. I like to use a fork to remove the burnt skin.

How to make Baba Ganoush from scratch (step by step tutorial)

As your eggplant is roasted and ready, you will need to put it in a medium bowl and see if any burnt skin is left and discard it out. The small bits are okay and give a great flavour , but if you find any large ones you will need to get rid of them.

Using a knife, a potato masher or an emersion blender, mash the cooked eggplant.

I like to keep mine a little chunky and I never use a blender to reach completely smoothness as that’s not how it should be. However, if you prefer your dip to be smooth and without any stringy bits then use a blender.

Dice a tomato, an onion, chop some parsley and crush some garlic cloves.

Add the vegetables to the eggplant and give it a good mix.

Add some olive oil, lemon juice, and salt. Mix again, and your baba ganoush is ready to be served!

Serve in a bowl, or in an Arabic mezze dish, drizzle with olive oil and season with sumac if desired. Serve with pita bread as a dip.

Do you eat Baba Ganoush hot or cold?

The answer is cold! Or at room temperature. Baba Ganoush is never reheated, and it’s not meant to be served warm.

What does Baba Ganoush taste like?

When you eat Baba Ganoush, the main taste and texture will come from the smoky eggplant. I’d say that it tastes fresh and smoky. The texture is creamy and fluffy, really fun to eat!

How long does Baba Ganoush last?

Preferably consumed on the same day, but you can keep it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 days

More great eggplant recipes

If you make this Baba Ganoush dip, please don’t forget to rate this recipe and share a picture on social media. Tag #LittleSunnyKitchen in your posts as I would really love to see what you make!

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Baba Ganoush A Middle Eastern eggplant dip made with tomato, onion, garlic, parsley, olive oil, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice and salt. 4.92 from 12 votes Print Pin Prep Time: 25 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 40 minutes Servings: 4 Calories: 47 kcal Author: Diana Ingredients 1 eggplant 1 eggplant

1 tomato diced 1 tomato diced

1 onion diced 1 onion diced

2 cloves garlic 2 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons parsley 2 tablespoons parsley

½ lemon juiced ½ lemon juiced

1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon olive oil

½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses optional 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses optional

sumac optional sumac optional

mint leaves optional mint leaves optional Instructions Roast the eggplant by placing it directly over the flame on your stove top. Roast it for about 15 minutes by turning it from side to side until the skin is burnt and the pulp is soft and tender.

Once the eggplant is roasted, peel off the skin then mash it using a fork or a potato masher.

Add tomato, onion, garlic, parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and give it a good mix. You can add pomegranate molasses if you wish.

To serve, drizzle with a little bit of olive oil, and garnish with Sumac and parsley or mint leaves. Serve warm or cold with pita or taboun bread. Notes Roasted eggplants freeze very well and can stay in the freezer for up to 6 months.

For better results, use very fresh eggplants to make Baba Ganoush. Overripe eggplants are bitter in taste and won’t taste as good. Fresh eggplants are shiny and are never soft or wrinkled.

Enjoy this dip either a bit cold or at room temperature. Store it in the fridge, and before consuming let it sit at room temperature for a bit.

This recipe serves up to 4, but can easily be doubled.

If you’re worried that your eggplant might be a bit bitter, just slice it in half, sprinkle with a little bit of salt, and soak for 20 minutes or so. Then rinse it very well with cold water and roast.

If you’re roasting the eggplant in the oven, and still want to get that smoky flavor, then add a little bit of smoked paprika once you mix the ingredients. Liquid smoke works well too. Nutrition Calories: 47 kcal | Carbohydrates: 10 g | Protein: 1 g | Sodium: 5 mg | Potassium: 375 mg | Fiber: 4 g | Sugar: 6 g | Vitamin A: 280 IU | Vitamin C: 9.2 mg | Calcium: 22 mg | Iron: 0.4 mg Did you make a recipe? Tag @littlesunnykitchen or hashtag it #littlesunnykitchen