Garlicky Baba Ganoush

I took my Cardiopulmonary II midterm earlier this week, and it just so happens that it was my best exam score yet! After the test, I did something that I've been dreaming about doing for two weeks...something that many of my fellow medical students also enjoy after a long stressful section of studying. Yup, that's right, you guessed it... I went grocery shopping (don't worry, I also went out and enjoyed KC's finest brew later that night)!

These beautiful little eggplants were the most important items on my grocery list. I've been craving baba ganoush for a while now and I figured homemade would be much more cost effective (and more fun) than store bought.

Although I grew up eating Lebanese food, I never actually learned how to make this dish. The reason for my lack of knowledge has nothing to do with my mom not trying to teach me, rather it has everything to do with me being a snotty little kid who turned her nose up at anything that contained even a hint of eggplant. So, I ended up resorting to the internet for a recipe. I used a recipe posted by David Lebovitz and the final product turned out very similarly to how I remember my moms baba ganoush tasting (except this time I like it!).

This is where the magic happens.

Garlicky Baba Ganoush (Adapted from David Lebovitz's Food Blog)

Yields 8 servings

3 medium eggplants

Wash and dry the eggplants and cut off the stems. Poke the eggplants in several spots with a fork or knife. Place on the top rack of the oven under a hot broiler. Broil until the skin is slightly burnt. Turn the eggplants while broiling so that the charring process occurs evenly.

Heat the oven to 375F. Place the eggplants on a baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes, turning half way through roasting. Remove the baking sheet and let cool. 

4 cloves fresh garlic (peeled)

1 1/4 tsp coarse salt (plus more to taste)

3 tbsp + 1 tsp lemon juice (fresh squeezed is best)

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 c sesame tahini

a dash of cayenne pepper

a dash of cumin

Combine the above ingredients in a food processor. Using the pulse setting, process until the garlic is sufficiently chopped and the ingredients have formed a mixture. 

Scoop the pulp out of the cooled eggplants and add to the food processor (yes, it looks a little questionable, but believe me, it will be worth scooping the goop). Puree the eggplant with the already mixed ingredients until you have a thick and creamy mixture. Taste and add more salt and lemon juice if you like.

Chill and serve with Kalamata olives, Persian cucumbers, and pita bread.

Enjoy!