Recipe: Black sesame baba ganoush

Black sesame baba ganoush is also (see my recipe for black sesame hummus) my kind of dip. Tasty, healthy, black. It looks scary enough for people to avoid it, so there’s always more for me. Make it for Halloween or any other day.

Black sesame seeds are widely used in Chinese medicine. Science suggests they may lower blood pressure and protect against oxidative stress (1). They may also reduce total cholesterol and LDL levels as well as protect cardiovascular, liver and kidney function, among other positive outcomes. Scientists have found at least 20 metabolites that are higher in black sesame seeds than in the white variety and might be responsible for their health benefits (2).

Baba ganoush can be spelled several different ways and I’m sure there’s some controversy regarding which country invented it. Regardless, it’s delicious and also healthy, vegan, gluten-free and it contributes to your daily vegetable intake.

Black sesame baba ganoush

Black sesame baba ganoush is as tasty and healthy as the regular version, but black.

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Total Time 55 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Dip

Cuisine Middle Eastern

Servings 3 -4 servings

Equipment

• oven

Ingredients

  

• 3 medium eggplants
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• juice from 1 lemon
• 3 tbsp black tahini
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• sea salt

To serve

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
• drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

 

• Optional but recommended: Wrap garlic cloves in foil and bake for 20-40 minutes at medium heat (160-170°C).
• If you decide not to roast the garlic, mince it.
• Set oven to grill or broiler, place eggplants on a baking sheet and cook for 30-40 minutes, turning it every once in a while until the skin is charred on all sides.
• Split eggplant in two lengthwise and scoop the flesh out.
• Place in a blender or food processor with the rest of ingredients. Process until desired consistency is reached.
• Check seasoning, serve in a bowl sprinkled with chopped parsley and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Serve with crudités (fancy for raw vegetable sticks) and/or crackers.

Keyword black tahini, dairy free, eggplant, gluten free, paleo, tahini, vegan, vegetarian

References

1. Wichitsranoi J, Weerapreeyakul N, Boonsiri P, Settasatian C, Settasatian N, Komanasin N, et al. Antihypertensive and antioxidant effects of dietary black sesame meal in pre-hypertensive humans. Nutrition Journal. 2011;10(1):82.
2. Wang D, Zhang L, Huang X, Wang X, Yang R, Mao J, et al. Identification of Nutritional Components in Black Sesame Determined by Widely Targeted Metabolomics and Traditional Chinese Medicines. Molecules. 2018;23(5).

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