The Babaganoush with Mediterranean Flavors is a quick and tasty recipe that demonstrates how much the peoples bordering the Mediterranean have in common. In fact, it is a recipe found with a thousand variations from Lebanon to North Africa. However, they all share the main ingredient, which is the eggplant. Generally, eggplant pulp is mixed with tahini, lemon, olive oil, salt, and paprika, but I wanted to make a variation reminiscent of Sicily by replacing paprika with wild fennel flowers. It’s really easy to make, I made it with the Bimby but you can also make it simply with a bowl and a fork, and it’s perfect as a dipping sauce for bread and focaccias during a buffet or appetizer. If you want to try my version, let’s begin!
To accompany the babaganoush with Mediterranean flavors, I recommend checking out these links
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 5 People
- Cooking methods: No cooking
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer
Ingredients for Babaganoush with Mediterranean Flavors
The main ingredient of babaganoush is the eggplant and its quality is crucial for the success of this sauce, given the few other ingredients that are added. As for the other ingredients, my advice is to add them in “installments” and taste along the way. I’m a big fan of tahini but there are those who can’t stand it, so its flavor should be dosed according to personal taste.
- 3 lbs eggplant (weight raw)
- 1.4 oz tahini
- 2.5 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp garlic (The pulp)
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp wild fennel (or paprika)
- 1.5 tsp fine salt
- to taste sesame seeds
Tools to make Babaganoush with Mediterranean Flavors
- 1 Baking Pan
- 1 Parchment Paper
- 1 Food Processor my Bimby
- 1 Knife
- 1 Garlic Press
- 1 Spoon
Steps
Making babaganoush with Mediterranean flavors is very quick… except for cooking the eggplants! These indeed need to be cooked and cooled well before proceeding with making the sauce.
Clean the eggplants by washing them and removing the ends.
Cut them in half and make shallow cuts with a sharp knife. Rub the surface with some oil.
Preheat the oven to 392°F (200°C) in static mode and place the eggplants face down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Once it reaches temperature, bake them for about an hour. They will lose a lot of volume and water. Let them cool covered. I prepared them the night before to make the sauce the next morning.
Once well cooled and cooked, the eggplants will look like this.
Scoop out the pulp of all the eggplants with a spoon.
Gather them in a bowl.
Using a garlic press, extract the pulp from 2/3 cloves (depending on size).
Add it to the pulp in the food processor (I used the Bimby).
Turn it on for 30 seconds at speed 4/5. It should become a well-blended pulp.
Add the lemon juice.
Add the tahini and blend at speed 4/5 for a minute.
Finish with the oil, salt, and wild fennel flowers and blend for another minute.
Before transferring to a serving bowl, it’s best to taste and adjust the salt, lemon, or tahini. This depends on personal tastes. Once the taste is adjusted, transfer to a bowl and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
The babaganoush with Mediterranean flavors is ready! This recipe is great to be accompanied by hummus, for example, or used as a dip with bread, as I did with my rustic loaf.
Storing the Babaganoush
The babaganoush can be stored in the refrigerator in a covered bowl with plastic wrap for a maximum of a couple of days, but I’m sure it will be gone before then! If you enjoyed this recipe, let me know on Instagram!
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
What can I do with eggplant skins?
I don’t throw them away; I turn them into eggplant chips. Just cut them into strips or squares, place them on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper (or in an air fryer), spray with oil, and season with a bit of salt, paprika, and spices. 20 minutes in a preheated oven at 356°F (180°C) fan and you’ll have tasty chips to pair with the babaganoush!
