I know you can buy a tub of baba ganoush from almost any delicatessen but can I tell you the flavour of one you make from an eggplant picked from your own garden will astound you. I’m so obsessive that even when making it commercially, as we sometimes do, I will only do so when the grower picks them for us and we make it next day, using a robust extra virgin olive oil. As with all simple recipes, it’s the details that make the difference.
Ingredients
- 1 small head broccoli
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Baba Ganoush
- 2 large eggplants (about 600–800 g)
- 1/3 cup (90 g) unhulled tahini
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1–2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped mint
- ½ pomegranate seeds
How to Make It
- To make the baba ganoush, preheat the oven to 250°C (fan-forced).
- Place the eggplants on a baking tray and roast for 15–20 minutes or until the skin has blackened and blistered and the flesh is soft. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Peel off and discard the skin and scoop the flesh into a colander. Leave to drain for 10–15 minutes.
- Process the tahini, garlic, molasses, cumin, lemon juice, salt, pepper and olive oil in a food processor until smooth. Add eggplant and chopped herbs and pulse until just combined. Check the seasoning, then transfer to a serving bowl.
- Preheat a barbecue grill plate to high.
- Peel the broccoli stalks and trim a little off the base. Cut into large florets with the stalk attached. Place in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, then toss to coat well. Barbecue the broccoli for about 5 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Remove and cut into bite-sized pieces, keeping some stalk on each piece.
- To serve, scatter the pomegranate seeds over the baba ganoush and serve with the barbecued broccoli alongside for dipping.