COOKING AT HOME: FRESH BABA GOUNASH (EGGPLANT DIP)
This recipe is fun to make. It's simple and you can customize it however you want, the only thing you can't really take out is the eggplant. This is an eggplant dip recipe, after all.
A little reminder. All the seasoning is optional. This recipe is the way I make it - I think it's delicious, it's smoked and garlicky, but you do you.
What you'll need:
2 large eggplants, trimmed and cut in half length-wise
Olive oil (or any other neutral oil)
Salt
Black pepper
Red pepper flakes
3-5 Garlic cloves, minced or pressed
Smoked-paprika
Juice of fresh lemon
What you'll do:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Oil both the flesh and skin of the eggplant halves, then sprinkle a pinch of salt on the flesh of each of the eggplant halves. Lay them flesh-side down onto a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet.
Roast at 400 for about 40 minutes.
Take out of the oven and allow it to cool slightly (or all the way).
Take a fork and scrape all that roasted flesh (including the seeds) from the eggplant into a large bowl. Scrap the eggplant skin.
Mix up thoroughly with a fork or USE A FOOD PROCESSOR (the consistency should be thick, if you want it on an ever thicker-side, for texture - that's fine. What I suggest against is making it into soup, because that wouldn't be dip, that'd be soup. DO single pulses at a time that way you don't go over into a puree).
*If making a single eggplant it's quite doable to mix with a fork, but if making two eggplants it's best to use a food processor if you have one (it'll be a lot less elbow grease. Then again, if you're really buff it's probably not going to be a big deal- so you make the call).
If using a food processor put the now processed eggplant into the large bowl and start seasoning! Add, crushed garlic (I used 5 because we love love love garlic in our house. You start with 3 though and work your way up), a dash or two of black pepper, lots of salt (at least three large pinches), a big pinch of red pepper flakes because I love spicy, three large dashes of smoked-paprika, juice of half a lemon. Mix, taste, and adjust.
MIX, TASTE, AND ADJUST.
MIX, TASTE, AND ADJUST.
And, you keep doing that until... it tastes just right for you.
*TIP: if you keep tasting and tasting and your not getting those flavor you want out of the dip, and you feel like, there's just no way you can add more garlic or smoked paprika... try adding more salt. When you get the right amount of salt in there, you'll know, all of a sudden the flavors in the dip will pop.
*TIP: cover and let the flavors come together in the refrigerator. A couple of hours should do.