Baba Ghanoush: A Middle East Masterpiece

(Clockwise from lower left): Baba Ghanoush sprinkled with pomegranate seeds; hummus; raw vegetables; and pita wedges.

Baba Ghanoush sounds like something they served in Arabian Nights. Possibly they did. It’s a traditional dish in the Middle East and neighboring countries. The basic recipe includes roasted eggplant, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and tahini (made from sesame seeds). In Israel, the tahini is often replaced with mayo. Baba Ghanoush is much like hummus, except it calls for eggplant instead of chickpeas.

“Dip”-a-Dee-Do-Dah

The photo above shows the Baba Ghanoush that my grandson, Austin, prepared at the farm. The tasty, vegan dip started with a few small, grilled eggplants. (Roasting works, too.) When the outside turned black and the inside mushy, he scraped the pulp from the skins, being careful not to include the charred part. Then he mixed the soft, smoky-tasting pulp with the other ingredients.

You can top the dip with pomegranate seeds (as Austin did), with pomegranate molasses, chopped green onions, or parsley. If you have some Aleppo chili flakes, zaatar spice, or sumac give it a shake.

Stand back and let your guests dive into the smoky, garlicky dip with pita bread, crackers, or crudités. There’s a lot of flavor dancing around in this dish.

Chef Ben Poremba serves a splendid Baba (Olio, Elaia, Benevolent King, AO&Co Market)

In St. Louis you can find the creamy, vegan dip at a number of restaurants. Aya Sofia, Sameem, Al-Tarboush Deli, Sheesh, Vine Mediterranean Deli, Apollonia Mediterranean Greek, Ya-Ya’s Euro Cafe, Cafe Natasha, and Ranoush. I’m sure other restaurants serve Baba Ghanoush, too, but I’ve only eaten it in these.