We featured Jamie Oliver's Baba Ganoush, a dip made from roasted eggplants, on our Mezze Platter a little while ago, but we thought it deserved a solo round in the spotlight because it’s really, really scrumptious and also, complementing our current #foodhalo trip, it is #vegan, #glutenfree (omitting the pita chips, of course) and #superhealthy. We can assure you, you’ll forget about all the silly hashtags when you dive into the deliciousness that is Baba Ganoush. Btw, don’t you just love saying Baba Ganoush? 😂 Perfect for dipping with carrots, celery or cucumbers, it also great spooned over an arugula salad or with some fluffy jasmine rice. We also just might be jumping into the bowl with a big ol’ spoon…
Ingredients
3 medium eggplants
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon tahini
½ teaspoon chili powder, optional
1 teaspoon cumin
Juice of 2 lemons
Pomegranate seeds as garnish
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C). On a chopping board, cut the eggplants in half lengthways. Score the flesh sides in a crisscross pattern, making sure you don’t cut through the skins. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, then toss to coat. Arrange on a baking tray, flesh-side facing up, then bake in the oven for around 45 minutes, or until soft.
Remove the aubergine from the oven, then set aside to cool. When cool, scrape the flesh of the eggplant off the skin, which you can discard.
Peel and roughly chop the garlic, then place in a food processor. Add the lemon juice, tahini, cumin, 2 tablespoons olive oil, chili powder and the eggplant. Blend to a nice thick dip. Again, make it as chunky or smooth as you’d like. Have a taste and add some salt and pepper if you think you think it needs it. Serve with sprinkling of pomegranate seeds.
Recipe by Jamie Oliver, https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetable-recipes/baba-ganoush/