I decided to make Baba Ganouj today and a light bulb went off – I should add harissa (that I bought at SOS Chefs) to it. It just made sense in my head so I was hoping the result would be as good. For me, the harissa was a hit! It brought out a smokiness and added a tang, and of course some heat. Unfortunately, Lon didn’t like it. We do occasionally differ on taste. Oh well.
I think it’s important to note that the tahini I used, is the one we brought back from Greece. It is earthier and has more roasted flavor than the tahini’s I’ve bought here. You may need to use more tahini to get as much flavor.
Spicy Baba Ganouj
1 1/4 pound eggplant
2 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons tahini
1/4 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons Harissa
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Pierce eggplant with fork in several spots and place directly in oven. Place something beneath to catch drippings. Bake until soft, roughly 40 minutes.
3. Peel the eggplant and discard the skin.
4. Place eggplant, lemon juice, garlic, tahini, cumin, and harissa in a food processor. Process until smooth.
5. Let it cool to room temperature before serving. Keeps in refrigerator for a few days.
this recipe sounds great ~ eggplant one of my all time favs. Actually will be grillin it today w. some balsamic vinegar.
Spicy baba even better!
I, too, am a big fan of the eggplant! Tahini question… have you any other interesting uses for it besides baba or hummous?
this sounds interesting…was on the lookout for good vegetarian recipes …what is harissa?
taste memory, I love grilling eggplant with balsamic too!
Snazz, tahini is also used in Asian cooking…Dan Dan noodles and cold sesame noodles.
Knife, Harissa is a a red paste/sauce from North Africa, made from chili peppers, garlic, and other ingredients in the different variations.