Bits on the sideDavid RichardsJune 07, 2019Aubergine, Dip

Baba Ganoush

Bits on the sideDavid RichardsJune 07, 2019Aubergine, Dip

Pardon? You'd be forgiven for not being familiar with this delicious levantine dip. Unlike its name, Baba Ganoush is actually a remarkably simple mix of aubergine and spices. If you've ever had the pleasure of enjoying a mezze platter between friends (or, no judgement, all to yourself) you might have dipped your Pita/Lavash/Khubz in this dip without even realising it wasn't hummus. Baba Ganoush, however, belongs firmly in a category of its own and I'm happy to have pleasure of revealing its smoky secrets for you to recreate at home.

Step 1 - Baking

Preheat your oven to 180°C
Oil a baking tray with a little olive oil
Take your aubergines and prick a few of holes around them with a knife
Top Tip: Don’t prick quite as many holes as a jacket potato, you want to keep the moisture in but prevent an aubergine explosion in your oven
Place the aubergines on the baking tray in the oven and bake for around 45min - 1hr or until the aubergines are nice and soft throughout, turning over half way
Allow the aubergines to cool enough to get hands on with them

Step 2 - Slicing

Place a colander above a mixing bowl, we’ll use this for draining excess moisture
Take your cooled aubergines and remove the stalk by slicing just beneath it
Slice them in half lengthways, then again into quarters
To separate the skin from the flesh, work your knife between them at one end then peel the skin away in a similar fashion to a banana
Top Tip: If some parts of the skin are difficult to remove you can also employ a fillet technique and run your knife along horizontally, scooping any remaining flesh off with a spoon
Place the flesh in your colander and allow to drain whilst you prepare the rest of the ingredients

Step 3 - Blending

Grab your food processor and get it ready for business
Roughly chop your garlic clove and throw it in (you can be really lazy here)
Add the yogurt, lemon juice, smoked paprika, 2 tbsp of olive oil and a twist of salt and pepper
Throw in your drained aubergine flesh and blend thoroughly until smooth and silky
Grab your tasting spoon. Don’t be afraid to add a dash more of anything, you’re aiming for rich and smoky but making sure the aubergines are still the star of the show

This dip can be smothered hastily into a wrap or straight onto a plate, but for a slightly classier finish, serve in ramekins with an additional topping of olive oil and a light dusting of paprika.