Baba Ghanoush

16 Reviews
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Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Cindy Barr
Yield:
2 cups (serving size: 1/4 cup)
By Karen Waldman, Brookfield, Connecticut
July 2010
RECIPE BY Cooking Light

Ingredients

  • 1 large eggplant (about 1 1/2 pounds)
  • Cooking spray
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
  • 3/4 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and crushed
  • 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons tahini (roasted sesame seed paste)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • Fresh parsley sprigs (optional)

Nutritional Information

  • Calories 75
  • Fat 5.3g
  • Satfat 0.5g
  • Monofat 1.6g
  • Polyfat 2.5g
  • Protein 2.1g
  • Carbohydrate 6.7g
  • Fiber 2.8g
  • Cholesterol 0.0mg
  • Iron 0.8mg
  • Sodium 277mg
  • Calcium 17mg

How to Make It

Step 1

Preheat oven to 375°.

Step 2

Pierce eggplant several times with a fork; place on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 45 minutes or until tender. Cut eggplant in half. Scoop out pulp; discard skins. Drain eggplant pulp in a colander for 30 minutes.

Step 3

Place pine nuts, cumin seeds, and garlic in a food processor; pulse until finely chopped. Add eggplant, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, tahini, 1 teaspoon salt, and black pepper to food processor. Process until smooth. Spoon eggplant mixture into a medium bowl; stir in parsley. Garnish with parsley sprigs, if desired.

Chef's Notes

Dissatisfied with the baba ghanoush recipes she was finding, Karen Waldman decided to create her own. By combining mayonnaise and tahini, she tinkered, found her perfect combination, and even incorporated it into a Greek-themed Thanksgiving meal. The unique dinner was an instant hit with her family. She plans to explore another cuisine by making this year's holiday menu an Indian feast. "I find this part of cooking, the creativity, very rewarding, especially when it turns out tasty," she says.

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Ratings & Reviews

Swap greek yogurt for mayo and it's great

charliee
July 18, 2017
I don't care about "authenticity" when it comes to food--just taste and nutrition. The idea of mayo in baba ghanoush just seems off to me, but I made this recipe today simply subbing plain greek yogurt for mayo--and it's delicious!  Really like the pine nuts and the thyme, and wouldn't have thought of those (especially the thyme) without the recipe.

The best baba G I've made

salene
August 04, 2015
I didn't use all of the mayo, and forgot the parsley & cumin and it still turned out great!  I did add more lemon at the end for taste.  Served with Pita chips.  Def would make this again.

CAgirlinIA's Review

kbwaldman
September 13, 2012
Well phooey - wish I had read the reviews first. Having never made this dish before I questioned the mayo but went ahead and used it anyway. Wasn't thrilled with it right after making it but thought I would let it "marry" for awhile and it might improve. My first impression, though, is that I like chickpea hummus WAY better and I, like Salene, was sorry I used the last of my eggplants for the year on this dish. I will try a more authentic recipe next time OR another way altogether as there are so many other great ways to use eggplant.

Namaste's Review

dinnerin
June 21, 2010
I've been looking for a creamy baba ghanoush and finally, I get to keep this one for the recipe book. I tried something you should know about, though, because I was tired of bitter versions of this recipe: I sliced Japanese eggplant and soaked it in salt water overnight (1 hour would do, too). Then I roasted it at 450 for 20 minutes after patting it dry and followed the recipe thereafter. I did not take the skin off, since Japanese eggplant skin is thin and I like textured spreads/dips. My version was a bit thick, so I added a dollop of greek yogurt to thin it out, which I will do from here on out. This dip was creamy & outstanding as a result. Loved it!

salene's Review

ProfPayne
August 24, 2010
I'm a huge baba ghannouj fan, but not a huge mayo fan, but it came recommended. I am sad I ruined some beautiful local eggplants with this dish. Will never make again. There are many better recipes out there that omit the mayo. Yoghurt is a MUCH better ingredient here.

dinnerin's Review

OhioSandra
July 16, 2010
This is one of the best and most authentic baba ghanoush recipes I have tried. It was really delicious. I might try grilling the eggplant next time, just because it summer and I don't want to heat up the kitchen.

emmiela's Review

Ellen
June 26, 2010
Okay- let me clarify- Baba Ghanoush is NOT Greek or Indian! It is Middle Eastern Cuisine- specifically Syrian and Lebanese, as is hummus. Many Americans assume these are Greek dishes- maybe Greek Restaurants in America are stealing these recipes as their own, but these dishes originated in Syria and Lebanon (Middle Eastern Cuisine). I know because I am Syrian American.

OhioSandra's Review

emmiela
August 28, 2010
I'd never before tried Baba Ghanoush and didn't think I cared for eggplant. But after making this recipe, I'm a fan. Is this recipe authentic? Apparently not. Do most Cooking Light readers expect authentic recipes? Nope; we're interested in taste and reduced calories. This recipe delivers both. And TBH, I appreciate the easy accessibility of mayo as opposed to plain yogurt. I withhold one star only because, as an earlier reviewer pointed out, the garlic was a bit overpowering. I'll halve the garlic next time I make the dish.

emmie123's Review

canullia
June 26, 2010
This recipe was awful! How can you put mayo in Baba Ghanoush? The person who created this dip is obviously not familiar with Middle Eastern food. Mayo is NEVER an ingredient in this authentic dip. It is simply: lemon, garlic, salt, tahini sauce, yogurt, and broiled and peeled egg plants, and it is great like that. Maybe she should have bought a Middle Eastern (Lebanese for ex) cook book before making this wanna be Baba Ghanoush recipe. This is a Great dip if it is made right. Middle Eastern people do NOT cook with mayonaise- that is so American. I just don't want people who no nothing about Middle Eastern food to think that this is what Baba Ghanoush is, because it is a false impression of the dip.

ProfPayne's Review

emmie123
August 07, 2010
Excellent, quick and easy. I've made it several times this summer and even gave it twist by adding eggplant, summer squash and zucchini! Soooo good!