Miso Babaganoush (Eggplant Dip)

Ingredients:

  • 1 Large Eggplant

  • 2 tablespoons Aedan Country Miso or Aedan White Miso

  • 2 tablespoons tahini

  • 1-2 tablespoons Greek yogurt

  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder

  • As needed Salt and extra virgin olive oil

  • Vegetable stick and/or pita and/or chips

How to make:

  1. Preheat the broiler or prepare a grill.

  2. If you use a broiler, lightly brush olive oil or other neutral oil on an eggplant. On a broiler pan or in a shallow baking pan broil eggplants about 3 to 4 inches from heat, turning every 10 to 15 minutes, 30 to 40 minutes, until charred all over and very soft. (Alternatively, grill eggplants on a well-oiled rack set 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals in turning every 5 minutes until its skin is completely charred and becomes very soft.)

  3. Cool eggplants until they can be handled and peel off and discard skin. Transfer pulp to a colander set over a bowl. Let eggplant pulp drain for 20 minutes and discard excess liquid in a bowl.

  4. In a food processor blend cooked eggplant pulp and remaining ingredients until smooth. Or if you prefer more rustic paste, put eggplant pulp, miso, lemon, cumin powder, and lemon juice in a bowl and combine all ingredients with a fork until it becomes a coarse puree. Add tahini and yogurt, and stir it to emulsify. Add salt to adjust its taste.

  5. Transfer baba ghanoush to a shallow bowl and drizzle extra virgin olive oil. Serve baba ghanoush with accompaniments such as vegetable sticks, pita bread, and chips.

Tips:

Babaghanoush is a traditional Mediterranean appetizer like hummus. Our country miso adds some robust “umami” flavor to this dish. It’s great for gathering and potlucks. You can make it a day before you serve, and it can hold up to 2 days in a refrigerator. For vegans, you can alternate with plant-based yogurt.

(Recipe by Eri Shimizu)