Egyptian Baba Ghannoug

Baba Ghannoug is served in many countries of the Mediterranean and under various names. In Turkey, it is known as patlican salatasi. In Greece, melitzanosalata. It is often served as a dip or salad and its base is roasted, pureed eggplant. This is the traditional Levantine variation but you can also add onion, mint, or other roasted vegetables.

Serves 3-4

What you need:

2 eggplants (aubergines)
1/2 cup tahini
2 tbsp vinegar
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp parsley
1 tbsp cumin
3 tbsp olive oil

Preheat the oven to 200 C (400 F). Put the whole eggplants on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the eggplants, let cool, and peel off the skin. Then add all of the ingredients into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Serve with pita bread.

Comments

  1. Chef Amber SheaMay 5, 2010 at 11:01 AM

    I REALLY want to try this. Two questions: What size of eggplants would you suggest? And what kind of vinegar do you like to use?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sarah GarrahanMay 5, 2010 at 1:33 PM

    Hey Amber. I used small-medium size eggplants for this recipe. I would suggest a white wine vinegar though I just used what I had (apple cider vinegar) and it tastes fine! Hope you like it.

    Sarah

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Turkish Zeytinyagli Mantarli Kuskonmaz

Image
Zeytinyagli Mantarli Kuskonmaz is a Turkish salad consisting of asparagus and mushrooms. In this recipe, I added some leftover wild rice that I had. This works as a hot dish or a cold summer salad. Enjoy! Serves 2-3 What you need: 3 tbsp olive oil 10-12 mushrooms, sliced 1 bundle of asparagus, chopped 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 3 tsp lemon zest or lemon juice 2 cups cooked rice (optional) In a large pan, heat the 3 tbsp olive oil on medium-high heat. Add the chopped mushrooms, asparagus, salt, pepper, and lemon zest and sauté for 10 minutes. If you are using rice, add the cooked rice and mix for another 3 minutes. Serve hot or cold.
next page

Albanian Jani Me Fasule

Image
This thick white bean soup is a staple in Albania. It is also eaten in Greece. A similar version is served in Morocco called loubia. The combination of mint and chili pepper give it a fresh, spicy taste. Serves 3-4 What you need: 2 cups dry white beans 3 cups vegetable broth 4 1/2 cups water 1 onion, diced 3 tbsp olive oil 3 tbsp tomato sauce 1/2 tbsp dried parsley 1/2 tbsp dried mint 1/2 tsp chili powder 1 tsp salt In a large pot, bring the vegetable broth to a boil and add the 2 cups dry white beans. Cover and boil on medium heat for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the onion. In a pan, sauté the onion in the olive oil for 5 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and the spices and continue cooking for another 7-10 minutes. Add the onion mixture to the pot of beans along with 4 1/2 cups water. Cover and simmer on low heat for 2-2 1/2 hours. Sprinkle fresh parsley on top and serve.
next page

Sicilian Caponata

Image
This eggplant/aubergine based dish has different varieties throughout Italy, most popular in the regions of Sicily, Naples, and Genoa. This recipe is for the vegan-friendly Sicilian Caponata. It can be served as an appetizer on top of bread, on pasta, or as a main dish. Serves 3-4 What you need: 4 tbsp olive oil 2 eggplants/aubergines, chopped 1 large onion, diced 1 green bell pepper, deseeded and diced 6-8 plum tomatoes, diced 1 carrot, diced (optional) 2 tsp fresh basil or 1 tsp dried basil 1/2 cup green olives, chopped 1-2 tbsp capers 1 tsp dried oregano 1 tsp salt 1 tsp sugar raisins (optional) In a large pan, heat the olive oil. Add everything to the pot and simmer on medium heat for about an hour. Serve!
next page