292. Baba Ganouche

Baba ganouche (بابا غنوج) is a Levantine staple appetizer-slash-salad almost as popular as tabboula and hummus tahina. Its main ingredient is aubergine (eggplant), which is roasted before scooping out its silky flesh to mix with a few seasonings.
Really, you can increase or decrease any of the ingredients to achieve the consistency and flavor you like best, so the recipe outlined below is just a guideline.
I served the baba ghanouche as "boats" in endive (chicory) leaves, and sprinkled with some fresh pomegranate seeds.

You can equally serve it in a bowl as a dip with some crispy pita wedges.
Several cultures world-wide also have their version of this aubergine appetizer, such as the French who call it aubergine caviar, which is made in the same manner only omitting the tahini and adding parsley.

Ingredients:

2 large aubergines
1 lemon, juice
2 Tbsp tahini
1 clove garlic
salt

To decorate:
endive leaves
pomegranate seeds

Method:

Preheat oven to 450F.
Poke the surface of the aubergines with a fork a couple of times before roasting it in the oven for about 45 minutes.
(I find that the aubergine has a tendency to explode in the oven if I don't poke some breathing holes in it.)
Let the aubergines cool a little before cutting it in half and scraping out its silky flesh in a bowl.
Stir in the lemon juice, tahini, the crushed garlic clove, and salt to taste.
Chill until needed.

To decorate its presentation, just before serving spoon some baba ganouche in an endive leaf and sprinkle with some fresh pomegranate seeds.

 صحة و عافية