Course Appetizer | ||
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Similar Tabbouleh, Hummus, Tahini, Fattoush, Falafel | ||
How to make baba ghanoush lebanese cuisine side dish
Baba ghanoush (Arabic: بابا غنوج bābā ghannūj, also appears as baba ganush, baba ghanouj or baba ghanoug) is a Levantine dish of cooked eggplant mixed with tahina, olive oil and various seasonings. The Arabic term means "pampered papa" or "coy daddy", perhaps with reference to a member of a royal harem.
Contents
The traditional preparation method is for the eggplant to be baked or broiled over an open flame before peeling, so that the pulp is soft and has a smoky taste. It is a typical meze (starter), often eaten as a dip with khubz or pita bread, and is sometimes added to other dishes. It is popular in the Levant (area covering Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq and Syria) as well as in Egypt, Kurdistan, Iran and Armenia.
Similar to baba ghanoush is another Levantine dish mutabbal (متبل lit. 'spiced'), which also includes mashed cooked aubergines and tahini, and mixed with salt, pepper, olive oil, and anar seeds. Mutabbal is sometimes said to be a spicier version of baba ghanoush.
Varieties
A variety of this dish is commonly known as patlıcan salatası ("eggplant salad") in Turkey. It is typically made with mashed eggplants, although varieties with cut eggplants can be found in southern Turkey. In regions with Arab-speaking populations it is also known as abugannuş or abugannuc.
In Iran and Azerbaijan, Kashk e bademjan, consists of whey and eggplant, mixed with various combinations of caramelized onions, roasted nuts, herbs, spices.
In Israel, it is also known as salat ḥatzilim although a variation with that name made with mayonnaise instead of tahina is also widely available.