Baba Ghanoush (Smoky Eggplant Dip)

Ingredients

• Eggplants · large, about 600g2
• Tahini3 tbsp
• Lemon juice2 tbsp
• Garlic · minced2 cloves
• Extra-virgin olive oil · + more to finish2 tbsp
• Salt · to taste0.5 tsp
• Ground cumin · optional0.5 tsp
• Garnish
• Paprika1 to taste
• Parsley · chopped1 to taste

Steps

1. Prick the eggplants and char them over a gas flame, grill, or in a 220°C oven until the skin is blackened and the inside is completely soft (30–40 min in the oven, faster over flame). The smoky flavor is key.

   ⏲ 35 min

2. Cool slightly, peel off the skin, and scoop out the flesh. Drain in a sieve for about 5 minutes to remove bitter liquid.

   ⏲ 5 min

3. Mash the eggplant flesh with a knife or fork (leave it a little rough, don't purée).

   ⏲ 2 min

4. Mix in the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and cumin, then stir in the olive oil.

   ⏲ 2 min

5. Taste and adjust with lemon and salt.

   ⏲ 1 min

6. Spread on a plate, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with paprika and parsley. Serve with pita and vegetables.

   ⏲ 1 min

Tips & Variations

The basics behind this dish

• Knife Skills: Grip, Cuts, and Why Size MattersHow you hold the knife matters more than how fast you cut. The pinch grip, the claw hand, and why uniform size is a cooking decision rather than a cosmetic one.
• Salt: When You Add It Matters More Than How MuchThe same amount of salt either draws water out or seasons all the way through, depending on when it goes in. Osmosis, seasoning in layers, and why salt types are not interchangeable by volume.
• Heat Control: Preheating, Oil, and Reading the PanThe same ingredients become a different dish depending on pan temperature. When to add the oil, how to read heat by sound, and which dishes want low heat instead.