Smoky, creamy eggplant dips are commonplace throughout Levantine cuisine – and they’re absolutely one of my favourites. The texture is craveable and the flavours are, at the same time, both bright and rich.
And though I love the nutty flavour that tahini adds to baba ganoush, it’s super possible to make it without using the sesame paste.
You also don’t need to have a gas stove or an outdoor grill to make this dip – you can easily roast the eggplants under the broiler!
How to Make Baba Ganoush Without Using Tahini
Turn your oven to broil/grill and set the temperature as high as it will go.
Also, go ahead and move a rack to the highest (or second-highest, depending on how tall your eggplants are!) position. Finally, line a baking tray with foil.
Now, time to prep your eggplants for roasting. All you need to do here is prick them all over with a fork. This is super important because if they’re not pricked, you’re at risk of an exploding molten eggplant.
This, at best, creates a mess and, at worst, can cause some burns. If you prick them with a fork, you can prevent this entirely!
Lay the eggplants on the tray and move them under the grill. Go ahead and roast the eggplants, rotating every so often, until the skins are charred, they begin to look deflated and they’re deeply tender.
This generally takes about 30 minutes, but it can vary depending on the size of the eggplants.
Remove them from the oven and cover the tray with some more foil. Let them sit for about fifteen minutes – this will allow you to more easily peel away the skins.
Once the eggplants are cool enough to handle, set a fine mesh sieve over a large mixing bowl. Use your fingers to remove the skins and stems from the eggplants and add the flesh to the sieve. Let the moisture drip off the eggplants for another 5 minutes or so.
Once the eggplants have drained, go ahead and pour off the liquid and add the flesh to the now-empty bowl.
To the bowl, also add some mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice, ground cumin, smoked paprika and a touch of cinnamon.
The mayonnaise is a good stand-in for tahini as the fat content lends a beautiful creamy texture to the finished baba ganoush. It’s what is used in many Israeli-style eggplant dips – and those are amazing!
Use a spoon or spatula to vigorously stir the eggplant, breaking it up and combining everything into a smooth emulsion.
Now, go ahead and season generously with salt and pepper and stir in some fresh chopped parsley.
I recommend letting the dip sit for at least an hour before serving. This lets the flavours meld a bit, the garlic to mellow and for everything to come together.
Then, go ahead and serve it alongside some other dishes as a mezze (my roasted red pepper dip is an excellent option!) or on its own – it’s delicious!
Baba Ganoush Without Tahini
Ingredients
- 3 medium eggplants
- 45 g (3 tbsp) mayonaisse
- 2 cloves garlic grated
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat your broiler/grill to its highest setting and move an oven rack so that it's about 15cm (6in) below the heat source. Use a fork to prick holes through the flesh of the eggplants and lay them on a foil-lined baking tray.
- Place the eggplants under the broiler/grill and cook, rotating every so often, until the eggplants are very tender and the skin is charred all over – about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cover them with foil. Allow to sit for 15 minutes.
- Unwrap the eggplants and use your fingers to peel away the skin. Add the flesh of the eggplants to a large fine mesh sieve set over a bowl. Allow the moisture to drain for about 5 minutes.
- Pour off any of the liquid accumulated in the bowl and then add the cooked eggplants. Add in the mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice, cumin, paprika and cinnamon. Use a fork to mash the eggplant and to incorporate the rest of the ingredients together.
- Season the dip generously with salt and pepper. Stir in the parsley. Cover the dip and allow it to sit for at least 1 hour before serving.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Whether you can’t find it, don’t like it or can’t eat sesame, it’s totally possible to make baba ganoush at home without using tahini.
Are you after a tahini-free recipe for baba ganoush? Have any questions? Let me know in the comments!
