Baba Ganoush, or roasted Brinjal dip, is one of our favourite dips/spreads. It is so easy to make and can also be quite cheap to make as well.
If you’ve read my post Fruits & Veggies on Special This Week (12/06/16) you’ll know that I bought a 5kg box of brinjals for R29.99 at the Apple Tree fresh Food Market Alberton last week. I used 2kg of those brinjals for the Baba Ganoush so my veggie ingredient cost me only R12.00 which is very cheap. This yielded about 600 gr. of delicious Baba Ganoush dip/spread.
Baba Ganoush is a healthy dish. Brinjals are rich in fibre and low in calories. Garlic, parsley, lemon juice and olive oil are all good for you. If you choose to make Baba Ganoush at home, the dip/spread has no preservatives or additives of any kind, which is an added bonus.
Ingredients:
2 kg Brinjals
Juice of 1 small Lemon
3 Tbsp. Olive Oil
5 Cloves of Garlic, minced
A handful of fresh Parsley, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. Tahini Paste *
*You can buy Tahini paste in the shops but this can be a bit pricey. It’s cheaper and easier to make it at home. Lightly brown 1/3 cup sesame seeds in a dry pot on the stove, allow to cool then grind the seeds in a coffee grinder. Empty the powder sesame seeds in a bowl, add 3-4 Tbsp. Olive oil, stir to a smooth and pourable paste and voilà, you have Tahini paste!
Method:
First, you’ll want to rinse the brinjals, dry them and prick each one with a fork several times. Line a flat baking tray with baking paper and layer the brinjals. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 220 C° for about 30 minutes. During this time turn the brinjals once or twice to ensure they’re evenly roasted. When done, remove the brinjals from the oven and allow to cool. Once they brinjals are cool enough to the touch, cut off the stem and peel the skin off the brinjals. Cut up the brinjals into smaller pieces.
In a bowl combine the brinjals, lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic, finely chopped parsley and the tahini paste. Blend everything to a smooth paste. You can do this using a food processor, a blender or a potato masher. Refrigerate Baba Ganoush in glass jars and consume within a week. We enjoy Baba Ganoush so much that it doesn’t last the week in our household!
Enjoy the creamy, earthy taste of Baba Ganoush on a slice of toast, as a dip with warm pita bread, as a side dish to meat or vegetables of your choice or as a base spread in a sandwich. Yum!
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