Recipes
Lebanese Baba Ganoush
Serves 6
| Prep Time: 5 mins
| Cook Time: 45 mins
| Total Time: 60 mins
You may need: Spicy Mint
Discover The Recipe
Baba Ganoush (also spelled baba ghanoush or baba ghannouj) is a delicious dip made with roasted eggplant, sesame (tahini), garlic, lemon, and olive oil that originates from the Levant area of the Eastern Mediterranean. Now popular around the world, it’s most often served as an appetizer (‘mezze’) with pita bread. With just a few ingredients, this healthy recipe is easy to make and most of the cook time is passive, waiting for the eggplant to roast.
Our Lebanese Baba Ganoush recipe uses a special blend to spice up the dip with local flavors. Mint is a popular ingredient across the Middle East and is often added to dishes with “hot” and fragrant spices like coriander and cumin. We created our proprietary ‘Spicy Mint’ blend to deliver an exotic smoky-minty-hot flavor profile of the Middle East in a versatile blend that you can use in your favorite dishes. Also, try using this blend to make our authentic recipe for Lebanese Moussaka (vegan chickpea-eggplant stew) that’s on our website.
Ingredients
1 large eggplant
1/4 cup sesame tahini
1 lemon, juiced (~1/4 cup juice)
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 tsp of salt (optional)
2 tsp Piquant Post Spicy Mint blend
Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling (optional)
Pomegranate arils (seeds) for garnish (optional)
1 Tbsp flat-leaf parsley leaves chopped, for garnish
1 cup sesame seeds (preferably hulled)
2-3 Tbsp of olive (or avocado or grapeseed) oil
Pinch of salt (optional)
Notes
What is tahini? Tahini (pronounced teh-HEE-knee) is a staple of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean Cooking. Tahini is a creamy, rich vegan paste made by finely grinding roasted sesame seeds until buttery smooth. Tahini should taste mildly nutty and savory, not overly bitter.
After the eggplant is in the oven, start by making the tahini in the food processor. Use a spatula to get into a storage container after you’re done, but there’s no need to clean it as you will immediately make the Baba Ganoush.
It’s worth making more Tahini than the recipe needs as it will store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. You can use extra tahini in salad dressing, drizzling over pita or crackers, over hummus, or even in baked sweets like brownies or chocolate chip cookies!
Optional ingredients add a little character and flavor but don’t sweat it if you don’t have them.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 deg. Slice eggplant in half the long way. Drizzle olive oil over the inside face of each half. Line a sheet pan with parchment or foil. Place the eggplant cut-side down and bake for 45 mins.
Make the Tahini paste first. Add the sesame seeds to a food processor. Chop the seeds until they form a crumbly paste (~1 min). Next, process and slowly add the oil over 10-15 secs until the paste forms a smooth, creamy texture. Remove, but add back in 1/4 cup of tahini into the processor.
When the eggplant is done, remove and let cool ~10 mins. Using a spatula, scrape the eggplant “meat” into the food processor and discard the skins. Add in lemon juice, garlic, salt, and Spicy Mint blend and process the mixture for ~30 secs. Use the spatula to scrape the sides and process again until smooth.
Serve baba ganoush in a medium bowl and drizzle olive oil over top. Garnish with pomegranate and parsley. Serve with fresh pita sliced into eights or with pita chips.
Alternatives & Substitutions
Our Spicy Mint blend has a bit of heat in it. If you or family members are sensitive to heat, start by adding a smaller amount to this dish, like 1/2 – 1 tsp. Add more after stirring and tasting.
Wonderful alternative dishes to make using Spicy Mint blend are our authentic Lebanese Moussaka (Maghmour) recipe, or our Lebanese Eggplant Salad. These are also vegetarian.
Also try sprinkling a small amount of Spicy Mint blend over pizza, flatbread, pita, hummus, stews, or tomato soup. Be sure to try our Lebanese Kafta Kebabs featuring this fantastic blend.
Be sure to leave comments and feedback on your meals and experiments in the comments for others to read.
Post pictures of your masterpiece meal on social media and tag us. We repost!
Lebanese Baba Ganoush
Serves
6
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Total Time
60 mins
Piquant Post spice you'll need: Spicy Mint
Ingredients
1 large eggplant
1/4 cup sesame tahini
1 lemon, juiced (~1/4 cup juice)
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 tsp of salt (optional)
2 tsp Piquant Post Spicy Mint blend
Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling (optional)
Pomegranate arils (seeds) for garnish (optional)
1 Tbsp flat-leaf parsley leaves chopped, for garnish
1 cup sesame seeds (preferably hulled)
2-3 Tbsp of olive (or avocado or grapeseed) oil
Pinch of salt (optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 deg. Slice eggplant in half the long way. Drizzle olive oil over the inside face of each half. Line a sheet pan with parchment or foil. Place the eggplant cut-side down and bake for 45 mins.
Make the Tahini paste first. Add the sesame seeds to a food processor. Chop the seeds until they form a crumbly paste (~1 min). Next, process and slowly add the oil over 10-15 secs until the paste forms a smooth, creamy texture. Remove, but add back in 1/4 cup of tahini into the processor.
When the eggplant is done, remove and let cool ~10 mins. Using a spatula, scrape the eggplant “meat” into the food processor and discard the skins. Add in lemon juice, garlic, salt, and Spicy Mint blend and process the mixture for ~30 secs. Use the spatula to scrape the sides and process again until smooth.
Serve baba ganoush in a medium bowl and drizzle olive oil over top. Garnish with pomegranate and parsley. Serve with fresh pita sliced into eights or with pita chips.
Notes
What is tahini? Tahini (pronounced teh-HEE-knee) is a staple of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean Cooking. Tahini is a creamy, rich vegan paste made by finely grinding roasted sesame seeds until buttery smooth. Tahini should taste mildly nutty and savory, not overly bitter.
After the eggplant is in the oven, start by making the tahini in the food processor. Use a spatula to get into a storage container after you’re done, but there’s no need to clean it as you will immediately make the Baba Ganoush.
It’s worth making more Tahini than the recipe needs as it will store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. You can use extra tahini in salad dressing, drizzling over pita or crackers, over hummus, or even in baked sweets like brownies or chocolate chip cookies!
Optional ingredients add a little character and flavor but don’t sweat it if you don’t have them.
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