The Best Roasted Eggplant Dip You’ll Ever Eat (Babaghanoush Boat)
Babaghanoush is a tasty dip made from roasted eggplant.
Hummus fans may not like this, but Babaghanoush is my favorite Middle-Eastern (East Mediterranean) dip.
It is vegetarian, but by replacing Greek yogurt with dairy-free yogurt, you’ll have your vegan dip!
Growing up, I watched my mom make Baba Ganoush all the time for breakfast, as an appetizer, and a side dip when we have BBQ.
Mostly on Fridays (weekend in the Middle East), when the family is gathered, she would place eggplant directly on the gas stovetop.
And then leave it for 10-15 mins, and once the skin is deeply charred and the eggplant white flesh is tendered.
Once that’s done, she would chop it and mix it with tahini, yogurt, garlic, and other ingredients you’ll find below.
What makes Babaghanoush’s taste memorable is the delish smoky flavor! So make sure you get your eggplant well roasted.
My mouth is drooling now as I am about to film this, so if you’re having a BBQ this weekend or a night in with friends, this dip is a must on your menu.
How to make Babaghanoush Boat (Video)
Babaghanoush Boat: Eggplant Dip Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Eggplant
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 1 tbsp Tahini
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 tbsp Yogurt Full-fat Greek or non-dairy for vegans
- 1/2 tbsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Pomegranate molasses optional
- 1/2 Lemon (1/5 cup of lemon)
- Pine Nuts optional
Spices
- Pinch Black pepper
- Pinch Cardamom
- Pinch Ginger powder
Instructions
Prep
- Cut your eggplant in half
- Mince the garlic
- In a small bowl, mix the yogurt, tahini, lemon, olive oil, salt, pomegranate molasses, and spices until they become creamy
Roast the eggplants: To roast the eggplants, you have two options:
- Option 1: An outdoor grill: the grill needs to be on medium-high heat, grill the eggplant (half) and rotate it occasionally, until the skin starts becoming soft. This should take about 25–30 minutes, depending on the size of your eggplant
- Option 2: Gas stovetop: the stovetop needs to be on medium-high heat, place the eggplant on the grate above the flame, or use a toaster grill like the one used in the video. Rotate every 4-5 minutes for 15 minutes until the skin and bulb start becoming soft
- Move the eggplant to a pre-heated oven at 425 F for 5-7 minutes to make sure it is fully roasted and keep the shape of the eggplant.
Take the eggplant flesh out:
- Place the eggplant on a cutting board and wait 2-3 minutes till it cools down
- With a knife and spoon, start taking out the eggplant white flesh and place it in a bowl, trying to keep the half eggplant shape (boat shape) & repeat for the other half
- Chop the white flesh with the spoon or a fork, they should be soft enough, so to chop with a knife
- Repeat for the other
Mix and serve
- Mix the chopped eggplants with tahini-yogurt mix (¼ cup – add more to your liking)
- Taste it, add more garlic and salt to please your taste!
- Place the eggplant skin boat in plate
- Stuff the boat with the eggplant mix
- Add pine nuts on top (roasted if you wish)
- Sizzle olive oil on top and enjoy!
Video
In the original roasted eggplant dip recipe that my mom makes, she chops the eggplants with the skin, making the smoky flavor even stronger, which you can do and save some time.
Baba Ganoush boats are just one way to impress your guests with a fancy looking dip!
One last tip, the dip tastes much better over time, so try to have it ready a few hours before you serve it.
