| There are lots of ways to cook the eggplant. Cook it whole in a medium high oven for half an hour. Prick the skin with a fork first. You can also grill it or steam it. The best way is to bar-be-que eggplant. Put it on the BBQ for half an hour or so. Turn it occaisionally until it is soft and the skin all wrinkled. Let it cool before you scoop the insides into a mixing bowl. |
Baba Ghanouj
Baba is the Arabic word for "father" as well as a term of endearment
Ghanouj means "indulged."
The Ottoman Turks spread the concept of mashed eggplant salad to the far reaches of their empire, which at one time stretched from North Africa to the Ukraine. Thus, eggplant salad became a favorite in Jewish communities from Marrakech to Odessa. What the Yemenites (and the Arab cuisine in general) call 'salads' are preparations of a variety of cooked vegetable mixtures such as hummus and eggplant puree.
Baba ghanoush (moutabal) is a traditional dish of Lebanon and Syria, and is often served with raw or blanched vegetables. The combined flavors of eggplant, garlic, and lemon juice are very Mediteranean. For a smokey flavor, grill eggplant over hot charcoal instead of baking in the oven.
Romanians increase the amount of garlic and add chopped onion
Persians add dried mint and a little ground cinnamon
Russians use vinegar instead of lemon juice and add finely chopped raw onion and tomatoes
Yemenites add tomato puree and z'chug - sesame seed paste and ground cumin
In Greece, olive oil is used instead of tahini.
In Syria yogurt is added for a lighter tasting dish.
In Turkey it is called Hunkar Begendi, tahini and garlic are omitted and
white sauce and grated cheese are mixed into the eggplant and heated
before serving.