Baba ganoush with flatbread and hummus

So, if you are like me, then you know how hard it is to make a really good baba ganoush. At least, after many tries, I had never made one that I wanted to make again, much less share with all of you. Until the day before yesterday, that is.

I think one of the mistakes I kept making was grilling the eggplant to get that lovely smokey flavor that is so important to a great baba ganoush. Which invariably resulted in the flesh semi-burning at the surface before the rest of the eggplant tenderized.

Now, I don’t know about you, but I am much better at using an oven than I am at grilling. So, based on several recipes I perused, I decided to take the advice of cooks much better and wiser than myself, and put my oven to work rather than my grill. And then cheat a little by adding a couple of smokey ingredients to offset the lack of the smokiness that comes with grilling.

In truth, I started by leaving the baba ganoush chunky. It tasted OK, but I kept chewing on small pieces of roasted garlic that I found less than appealing. (Hard to smash up roasted garlic using a potato masher.) The rest of the mix was delicious, so I decided, what the heck, and got out my small food processor. This resulted in a lovely, smooth dip which made all the difference. The garlic was still evident, but only in a good way. And with just a drizzle of olive oil and a light sprinkling of smoked paprika on top, the baba ganoush was a winner.

I served the baba ganoush with hummus (several recipes on site under Hummus a Tune Mr. C. and my new favorite Quick and Easy Flatbread. (Find recipe below.)

So, if you too are an ardent fan of baba ganoush, I hope you give this recipe a try. It is simple to prepare, but it does take a bit of taste testing along the way to reach perfection. So, try very hard not to eat the whole batch before it is made available for others to also enjoy.

And as always, dear friends, peace and love to all.  

2 med. eggplants

extra-virgin olive oil

4-5 lg. cloves of garlic

2 T. fresh lemon juice, or more to taste

3 T. tahini, or more to taste

pinch ground cumin, or to taste

¼ tsp. baking soda (if baba ganoush is bitter)

smoked paprika, for garnish

Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Halve the eggplants lengthwise. Brush the cut side very lightly with olive oil. Place the eggplant halves on the prepared pan, cut side down. 

Cut off the top of the garlic cloves. Place garlic onto a square of aluminum foil. Pour a little olive oil over the exposed tops of the cloves and wrap tightly in the foil. Place the garlic packet on the baking sheet with the eggplant.  

Roast the eggplant and garlic in a preheated 425-degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until the eggplant is tender. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

You will find that the baked eggplant has a darkened skin on the cut side from baking flesh side down on the baking sheet. I advise you to carefully cut around the edge of each eggplant half with a paring knife. Then carefully lift the burned skin off the eggplant and scrape off as much of the unburned flesh as possible into a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl. (And no, the burned part will probably not come off in one nice piece. No one is that lucky! So be patient. This step takes a bit of time. But it’s important.) Discard the burned parts. Then scoop out the remaining flesh into the strainer. Discard the skins.  

Let the eggplant sit in the strainer for a few minutes to release some of the unwanted liquid. Remove any blackened parts that might remain. Then stir the eggplant a bit. This will help get rid of any residual liquid. Transfer the flesh to the bowl of your food processor and discard the liquid in the bottom of the bowl.

Gently squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their peels and into the food processor.

Add the lemon juice, tahini, cumin, and 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil. Process until smooth. Taste and add additional salt, lemon juice, tahini, or olive oil. (You will probably need more salt Or even some of each ingredient.) If your baba ganoush is a bit bitter, try adding just a smidge of baking soda and give the whole thing another whirl. Taste again and make further adjustments as required.

Scoop into a serving bowl, cover, and refrigerate for a couple of hours. Just before serving, garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and a light sprinkle of smoked paprika.  

Great served with my Quick and Easy Flatbread, pita chips, and/or crudité.

QUICK AND EAST FLATBREAD

½ c. warm water

½ tsp. granulated sugar

1 tsp. instant yeast

½ tsp. kosher salt

2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed

3 T. milk

½ tsp. fresh lemon juice

1 T. extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing on flatbread

In a small mixing bowl, combine water, sugar, and yeast. Let stand for 5 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, combine salt, flour, milk, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and the yeast mixture. Stir to combine until dough comes together. (I use a regular table knife to stir the dough.)

Divide the dough into six equal pieces. Roll each piece in a ball with your hands. Arrange the balls on a small parchment paper lined baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap that has been lightly coated with cooking spray. Let the dough rise for 1 hour.

Heat a large griddle or skillet over medium heat.

Roll the dough balls out on a floured surface to a ¼-inch thickness and place 1 at a time on your ungreased heated skillet. Cook the flatbread until it starts to bubble. (And no, the bubbles won’t pop.) Flip the bread and brush the cooked side with olive oil. Cook the second side for another minute or two or until the bubbles are nicely browned.

Remove to a baking sheet or plate. Serve warm. (I love to serve this simple flatbread with hummus and baba ganoush.

Store leftover bread in an airtight container at room temperature. Heat leftover bread a bit before serving.