This eggplant spread is a spreadable eggplant pulp that you can smear on bread or crostini or eat spoonfuls of.
Yes!, if you are as fond of eggplants as I am, you will eat it with a spoon too! 🙂
My eggplant spread is not and does not pretend to be the famous baba ganoush. You already know that I always have mixed feelings about traditional recipes and true original recipes because I am almost sure that the originality of a recipe is always very subjective. Proof of this is the well-known debate over the true piadina romagnola, a subject on which I can speak for myself due to my birthplace. There isn’t a cooking group where there aren’t more or less regular tussles among supporters of the true, each his own, original recipes. As for me, my recipe, original from my home and I emphasize from my home, I have told you here with all my thoughts, historical accounts, and feelings (and even linking to the regulations 😀 ).
That’s why I imagine that even for the baba ganoush recipe – and all other typical recipes, whether local or foreign – there are equivalent tussles going around on social media.
And that’s why this is just a simple eggplant spread, even though the ingredients are somehow those or close to those of baba ganoush.
And nothing. Why am I telling you all this, you might be wondering? Because the eggplant spreads I have been making and eating for years are undoubtedly influenced by years of reading recipes and watching (um… watching sounds like supernatural things,… I mean views… how the heck do you say it? sights… no eh?), ok, watching video recipes of various baba ganoush, which I have been reading and watching for years and then storing in a corner of my mind. And every time I feel like eating an eggplant spread, I fish them out and assemble them, every time ‘as it comes’.
The one I am telling you about today is the last one I made in terms of time, yesterday.
A super quick version prepared in 5 minutes while waiting for the pasta to cook. And which, as often happens to me, turned out to be the best ever.
At least until today, then we’ll see tomorrow. 😀
So, do you have an eggplant at home?
and sesame seeds?
or sunflower seeds?
and parsley? Come on then!!!!!
〰 〰 〰
More recipes with eggplants? Here they are! 👇
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Rest time: 10 Minutes
- Preparation time: 2 Minutes
- Portions: 2
- Cooking methods: Microwave
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Summer
- Energy 98.41 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 12.35 (g) of which sugars 6.42 (g)
- Proteins 2.80 (g)
- Fat 5.38 (g) of which saturated 0.73 (g)of which unsaturated 2.10 (g)
- Fibers 6.03 (g)
- Sodium 6.33 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 100 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 1 round eggplant (mine was 10.58 oz)
- 1 bunch parsley (fresh)
- 1 clove garlic (small)
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds (toasted)
- 2 teaspoons sunflower seeds (toasted)
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 pinch chili pepper
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil (optional)
Tools
- Microwave Oven
- Chopper
- Small Bowls
Preparation
Wash the eggplant and prick it with a fork or a toothpick.
This is to prevent it from exploding. It happened to me once (I forgot to prick it, ah memory! 😀 ). Nothing serious (the eggplant just split open) but I assure you it’s not pleasant to hear a sudden bang from inside the microwave.
Wrap it in a sheet of parchment paper.
Place it on the microwave plate and cook it at full power for 6 minutes, turning it halfway through.
The microwave cooking time cannot be given precisely to the minute because it depends on several variables, such as, just to name one: cold eggplant from the fridge or room temperature eggplant (which these days is quite warm).
Leave the eggplant inside the oven for 10-15 minutes (rest time, typical of microwave cooking).
Since the eggplant has to cool slightly anyway, the rest time can be extended until the eggplant can be handled without the risk of burning.
Cut the cooked eggplant in half and scoop out the pulp with a spoon.
Put the pulp in the cup of a small food processor, add the garlic clove (if it is large, half is enough), a small bunch of parsley, two teaspoons of lemon juice, one teaspoon of sesame seeds, and two of sunflower seeds (already toasted), then run the processor until you obtain a spread.
The oil can be added at this stage or at the end, when the spread is obtained. Or it can also be omitted; I have made this spread both with and without oil and it doesn’t taste different, as one teaspoon is still a small amount that doesn’t alter the final flavor.
👉 The real baba ganoush requires tahini. If you want to try it, you can find my recipe HERE (a tahini a bit different from usual because made with untoasted seeds). This time, not having time to prepare the tahini, I simply used the toasted sesame and sunflower seeds that I always keep on hand (I usually use them to enrich salads). Just toast them briefly in a pan, it’s a very simple operation that I recommend.
Highly recommended is the addition of chili pepper, in the quantity you prefer.
Optional is the addition of a grate of lemon zest (for me definitely a good idea).
Salt-Free Tips
As I remind you that I cook without added salt, I suggest you try reducing salt in your dishes using aromatic herbs. In this eggplant spread, you can get creative by adding, besides the parsley which is essential to recreate the version I told you about today, other herbs like basil and mint, if you like mint, it is really excellent paired with eggplant. Garlic is essential as a flavor enhancer, remember that! 😀
If you are interested in reducing or eliminating salt, always remember to:
▫ Gradually decrease salt, the palate needs to get used to it slowly and should not notice the progressive reduction.
▫ Use spices. Chili pepper, pepper, curry, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, cumin…
▫ Use aromatic herbs. Basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, mint…
▫ Use seeds. Sesame, pine nuts, almonds, nuts…
▫ Use spicy vegetables or fruits. Garlic, onion, lemon, orange…
▫ Use my salt-free vegetable granules and gomasio.
▫ Prefer fresh foods.
▫ Avoid boiling, prefer cooking methods that do not disperse flavors (grill, foil, steam, microwave)
▫ Avoid bringing the salt shaker to the table!
▫ Occasionally break the rule. It’s good for the mood and helps to persevere.
If you don’t want, or can’t, give up salt:
▫ You can still try my recipes by salting according to your habits.
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