Baba Ganoush AKA Whipped Eggplant Dip

Don't ask me why, but I've always hated eggplants.  Maybe I was traumatized by a bad eggplant experience when I was younger.  I'm not really sure, but I remember thinking that I REALLY didn't like them.  And then my friend and I went to a restaurant and they recommended a whipped eggplant dip - their specialty.  We ordered it and I was expecting it to be okay, but it was amazing.  It was light & creamy and just really the perfect dip.  It's one of those things that every time you go (even when you're just getting drinks at the bar) you order the whipped eggplant.

Ryan and I have become a little obsessed with this dip from Elephante.  Or at least we were until we found out that there was creme fraiche in it, so now it's just me whose a huge fan.  Since Ryan can no longer eat their whipped eggplant dip, I decided to try to recreate it at home.  I scoured the internet for whipped eggplant dip recipes and only came across a few.  I thought - why don't more people do this?  Then I came across a recipe for baba ganoush and realized that whipped eggplant and baba ganoush are essentially the same thing.  I'm pretty sure the whipped eggplant dip from Elephante doesn't have tahini in it, so that's probably the reason they don't call it baba ganoush, but I added tahini to my recipe.  So call it what you want, it's the same recipe either way.

The first time I tried to recreate this dish, it was an absolute disaster for multiple reasons.  I won't go into detail, but let's just say I made a few mistakes along the way (including but not limited to trying to make it with 1 small eggplant instead of 3 large, not reading the instructions and under cooking the eggplant, etc.)  This time, it turned out much better and super tasty, but still nothing like the Elephante dip.  Why?  Well, I have a feeling they put a TON of creme fraiche in theirs.  Since Ryan is lactose intolerant, no creme fraiche or dairy products in this recipe to cream it up.  But none the less, this garlicy whipped eggplant dip is super tasty and definitely a crowd pleaser.  Pair it with some freshly baked ciabatta bread and top it with some everything bagel seasoning and you've got a great afternoon snack or appetizer.

For some reason I went back to taking food photos with my iphone for the longest time.  For this recipe, I pulled out my Nikon again and the photos turned out SO much better than my iphone photos.  That shouldn't surprise anyone, but I'm happy with how this dip, bread, and  these photos turned out!  So all in all, I'd say it was a successful day.

Total Time: 1 hour

Servings: 10+

Ingredients:

3 medium sized eggplants

4-5 garlic cloves

3 tbs olive oil 

1/4 tsp cumin

2 tbs tahini

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt to taste

+2 tsp everything bagel seasoning for topping

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425° F.
2. Rinse eggplants and slice in half.  Place skin side up on an oiled baking tray and roast for 40-45 minutes.  The skin should be wrinkly and the inside of the eggplant should be soft.
3. Allow the eggplant to cool for 5-10 minutes before scooping the insides into a food processor. Blend in the food processor until smooth.
4. Add garlic, olive oil, cumin, tahini and lemon juice and blend until combined.  Taste and add salt/adjust seasonings according to taste.
5. Allow to cool completely before serving, topped with a drizzle of olive oil and everything bagel seasoning.

I'll be honest, this recipe makes a TON of dip and Ryan and I have been trying to eat it daily so it doesn't go bad.  No problem there since it's delicious, but it's definitely something you want to make for a crowd or know that you're committing to eating it every day for a few days.  We've eaten it with bread and with crackers and it's delicious both ways.  I'm sure it would also be good eaten like hummus with veggies dipped in it too!