Baba Ghanoush with Warm Pita
Smoky charred eggplant, tahini, lemon and warm pita to scoop.
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If you have a gas stovetop, char the eggplants directly on the flame instead of broiling - set them right on the burner, turn with tongs every 4-5 min. Takes ~15 min total and gives that smoky, almost-bonfire flavor that the broiler can't quite match. Just put foil under the burner first for the drips.
Ingredients
Everything below makes 4 servings.
- 2 largeglobe eggplantpricked all over with a fork
- ⅓ cuptahinistirred well from the bottom of the jar
- 1½lemonjuiced (about 3 tbsp)
- 2garlic clovesgrated or pressed
- 3 tbspolive oil2 tbsp in the dip, 1 tbsp drizzled at the end
- ½ tspground cumin
- ½ tspsmoked paprika
- 1 tspground sumacfor garnish
- ¼ cupplain whole-milk yogurt (for drizzle)
- ¼ cupfresh parsleychopped
- 2 tbsppomegranate seedsoptional - bright pop for garnish
- 4pita bread
- 1 tspkosher salt
- ¼ tspfreshly ground black pepper
In the app these rescale to however many people you're feeding.
Nutrition
Per serving, as written.
- 420calories
- 12gprotein
- 48gcarbs
- 22gfat
Swaps move these numbers. A different protein or base changes them.
Instructions
Knife work first, then the stove. Nothing below asks you to chop while something burns.
- Prick eggplants all over with a fork (5-6 deep stabs each) - prevents pressure from blowing them up in the oven.
- Grate or press 2 garlic cloves. Juice lemons. Chop parsley.
- Stir tahini in its jar - the oil separates and you want it homogeneous before measuring.
Char the eggplants
Heat broiler to high. Place pricked eggplants on a sheet pan, broil 25-30 min, turning every 7-8 min, until skin is blackened and crackly all over, flesh is collapsed and tender (a knife slides in with no resistance). Pull when they look almost ruined - that's the smoke flavor. If you have a gas burner, you can char directly over the open flame instead for ~15 min.
27 min · hands offDrain
Let eggplants cool 10 min until handleable. Slice open, scoop flesh into a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl. Press gently with a fork to release the bitter, watery juice. Drain 10 min - this step is what separates a creamy baba ghanoush from a watery one.
10 min · hands offBuild the dip
Transfer drained eggplant to a bowl. Add tahini and lemon juice and grated garlic and olive oil and cumin and smoked paprika and salt and black pepper. Mash with a fork - keep it rustic with some texture, don't blend smooth. Taste, adjust lemon and salt - tahini is rich so it needs more acid and salt than you'd think.
4 min · hands onWarm pita
Warm pita rounds 30 sec per side in a dry skillet over medium-high (or wrap in foil and warm in a 350 F oven 5 min). Cut into wedges.
1 min · hands onPlate
Spread baba ghanoush in a shallow bowl. Make a swirl with the back of a spoon. Drizzle yogurt and remaining olive oil. Scatter parsley, sumac, and pomegranate seeds on top. Serve with warm pita wedges for scooping.
2 min · hands onMake it yours
Every swap here is one Maui already knows how to make, including what it does to the timing.
Slice 1 cucumber and 2 carrots into batons - fresh crunch, no bread.
Warm lavash 30 sec/side in a dry skillet.
Serve with seedy rice crackers - no warming needed.
Skip the drizzle - squeeze extra lemon and olive oil over the top instead.
What keeps
Baba ghanoush keeps 4 days in the fridge and the flavor deepens. Don't reheat - it's served cool or room temp.
Pita warms fresh per serving (30 sec in a dry skillet).
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