Majida Rashid
While I’ve seen it spelled ‘baba ghanoush’ in America, my first rendezvous with the dish was in Bahrain where it was called baba ghanouj. Baba ghanouj certainly is a dish that has pleased the palate of many around the world.
Myths and exotic meanings are attributed to the name. “Baba” means father in Arabic, and “ghanouj,” for some, means spoiled. For others the word conjures up the image of a Sultan who was spoiled by the ladies of his harem.
In the mid 1980s, Moulinex, the French household appliance company, commissioned me to write a cookbook which was to be given away with their food processor, Masterchef 65. Baba ghanouj was one of the dishes to be featured in the book.
By then I had lived in the Middle East for several years. I thought making this starter would be no problem. All I would have to do was mix lemon juice, oil, tahini or sesame sauce, garlic and salt in baked eggplants. Only at the time of developing the recipe I realized this simple starter is not that easy to make. It’s a delicate balance of flavors and texture. Too much or too little of tahini or garlic would ruin the flavor.
It took me quite a few attempts to prepare a baba ghanouj that matched the consistency and flavor of the dish served in reputable restaurants.
According to my contract, photographs of me cooking the dishes would accompany each recipe. But before any photo shoot took place, I was summoned to the Moulinex office. The Middle East area manager presented me with a glossy cookbook. Instead of being pleased, though, I was disappointed because I had been eagerly waiting to prepare the food for the photography.
My ego was stroked when he told me that they wanted to ensure the dishes were producible and their flavor was authentic. So, they handed my recipes to a British chef who had never even heard of Middle Eastern dishes.
Now, the 1980s didn’t have the luxury of the Internet where food preparation from around the world was at a click of a computer key away. It was also the time when chefs were not very open to experimenting with new dishes and neither were their customers.
Moulinex published the cookbook only after tasting the dishes. That pleased me!
Now instead of giving a specific amount of certain ingredients for the baba ghanouj I have provided a range to experiment with and make it suitable to your own palate. After all that’s the precise reason for its popularity throughout the world.
Tahini sauce and olive oil should be purchased from a Middle Eastern store. Sometimes these stores bring cold pressed olive oil in big canisters and sell them in unlabeled bottles. Occasionally I get tahini sauce from a reputable Middle Eastern restaurant. But it’s milder than the bottled tahini.
Baba Ghanouj
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
2 – 3 medium eggplants, approximately 2 lbs
1/2-3/4 cup tahini sauce
3 – 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 – 3 medium garlic cloves
2 tablespoons cold pressed olive oil
Pinch of red pepper flakes, optional
1/2-3/4 teaspoon salt
For Garnish
3 tablespoons cold pressed olive oil
Pinch of smoked paprika
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Line a baking tray with foil and slightly oil the foil.
Place the eggplants on the tray and bake for 50-60 minutes, turning over a few times. The skin should brown but not char as it will impart smokey flavor.
Remove the eggplants from the oven and let them cool.
Peel and discard the skin and place the flesh in a sieve and leave aside for twenty minutes.
Put the eggplants, salt, garlic and lemon juice in a food processor and process for a minute.
Add a little bit of oil and give it a whir. Repeat until the oil is incorporated.
Mix in the tahini, a little at a time. This can also be done with a spatula.
Stir in the red pepper flakes and transfer into a bowl.
Cover and refrigerate for several hours.
Serve it the same day. The flavors will be thoroughly absorbed by the next day.
For Garnish:
Place baba ghanouj in a shallow bowl. Make a swirl with a tablespoon.
Sprinkle with paprika and parsley.
Dribble the olive oil on the top.
Serve with pita or raw vegetables like celery and carrots
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Foodie Majida Rashid lives in Texas. Food and cooking are her passion. Her philosophical writing can be read at apakistaniwomansjourney.wordpress.com. @Frontiers_Of_Flavor
