Roasted eggplants make the most satisfying dip! In the Middle East, they call it Baba Ganoush. In France, it is called “Caviar d’aubergines” or eggplant caviar. It can be served as an appetizer or a side with flat bread or crackers. Traditionally, this eggplant dip is served cold in the summer but you can also serve it warm in the colder months.
What I love about this dish is that it tastes so rich and creamy and yet it high in fiber, has just the right amount of good fat and it makes you feel so satisfied! I can eat it everyday! Maybe I was Lebanese in a past life!
What I love about this dish is that it tastes so rich and creamy and yet it high in fiber, has just the right amount of good fat and it makes you feel so satisfied! I can eat it everyday! Maybe I was Lebanese in a past life!
Choosing the right eggplants:
This recipe calls for big round purple eggplants. Just make sure that they are firm and without any blemishes otherwise, you will get a lot of seeds you will have to remove and end up with little flesh which means less dip!
Roasting
If you have a gas stove, you will be able to make this dip in record time because you will grill them directly on the flame. You can roast a large eggplant in less than 10 minutes! You will also get a nice smoky flavor. If you don’t, no worry, just roast them in the oven for about 40 minutes.
Blending
You can mash the roasted eggplants with a fork if you like more texture in your dip or use a food processor. Both work fine.
You can mash the roasted eggplants with a fork if you like more texture in your dip or use a food processor. Both work fine.
Serve with
Raw vegetables, warm pita bread, crackers, sliced french baguette, your fingers…
TIP: to preserve the freshness of your dip, always drizzle some olive oil before refrigerating.
It will seal the surface and keep the puree from oxidizing.
Or do what we do at home, always lick the bowl clean!
Roasted Eggplant Caviar
Author: Chef Sophie
Recipe type: Appetizer
Cuisine: French
Ingredients
- 2 medium eggplants
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 Tbl lemon juice
- ¼ cup tahini (sesame butter)
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ cup fresh parsley
- salt & Pepper
Instructions
- METHOD 1: Gas stove (fastest)
- Cut the eggplants in half with the skin and put directly over high flames.
- Using metal tongs, flip one side until it is well charred, then do the other.
- It should take about 5 minutes for the eggplants to be fully roasted and charred.
- You know they are done when the eggplants collapse on themselves.
- Let the eggplant cool a little and remove the skin which should come of easily but will be messy!
- Gently squeeze the eggplant over the sink to remove any liquid left.
- METHOD 2: OVEN BROILING
- Preheat oven to 450F, move your rack in the upper level.
- Place eggplants cut in half on a lined baking dish face down and bake for 35-40 minutes until the flesh is soft when you touch it.
- Remove the eggplants from the oven. Let them cool down a little. Use tongs to quickly peel the charred skin.
- Place the flesh in a thin thieve to drain the excess water (remember it is a sponge).
- MIX
- Place the roasted eggplant flesh and remaining ingredients except the olive oil in a mortar or a food processor and pulse a few times.
- Add some olive oil and pulse again. You want to keep a certain texture so don't overdo it.
- Taste and season as needed.
- Pour into a nice dish, top with chopped fresh parsley.
- Drizzle some olive oil and cover. Refrigerate for a few hours.
- Serve with flat bread, crackers, sliced French baguette or with fresh cut raw vegetables.
Some nutritional facts:
- Eggplants are rich in water (92%), in minerals (magnesium and zinc) and high in potassium (260 mg/100), making it a great natural diuretic.
- They are also rich in easily digestible fiber if steamed or baked (forget deep frying!)
- The skin is high in anti-oxydants.
- They are good for people with type 2 diabetes because they are high fiber with a low glycemic index.
- If you track your calories, you will be happy to know that it is one of the lowest calorie vegetable (18 kcal/100 g), making it comparable to tomatoes, endives or lettuce.
- More recent studies even states that it can also help lowering cholesterol. Apparently, they have discovered that eggplant captures the fat and prevent it from seeping into the blood stream. That’s why, if you try to fry it, you will have to use a ton of oil because its fibers absorb everything! So skip the frying and instead steam or bake and let the fiber absorb the internal fat!
No wonder, it is one of the star of the Mediterranean diet!
So why not splurge and start incorporating it in your diet?
