Appetizers, Lesson #5 - Hummus & Baba Ghanoush

The earliest known recipe for a dish similar to Hummus is recorded in a cookbook published in Cairo during the 13th century.

Hummus is made of cooked, mashed chickpeas blended with tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic. As an appetizer and dip, hummus is scooped with flatbread such as pita and eaten as it is. However, outside the Middle East, it is also served with tortilla chips or crackers.

Hummus is generally served as part of a meze or as an accompaniment to falafel, grilled chicken, fish or eggplant and usually garnished with chopped coriander, parsley, caramelized onions, whole chickpeas, olive oil, paprika, sumac, olives and pine nuts.

Baba Ghanoush in Arabic means "spoiled/pampered father". According to Middle Eastern food lore, Baba Ghanoush alludes to an elderly, toothless father whose daughter mashed his food because he wasn’t able to chew.

Baba Ghanoush is a thick dip or spread made of mashed eggplant, also listed in restaurants in Western countries as ‘eggplant caviar’ and usually made with pureed, roasted eggplant, olive oil and seasonings.

About this Dish

Hummus is made from blended chickpeas with tahini, garlic, olive oil and lemon juice while Baba Ghanoush is made from mashed roasted eggplant.

Both Hummus & Baba Ghanoush are cold dips usually served with freshly made pita bread.

Recipe Card

Method of Preparation

For Hummus

1. Wash the soaked chickpeas and simmer in plenty of water for 4 hours until they become soft and tender. The chickpeas can be boiled in a pressure cooker to shorten the cooking time.
2. Blend the chickpeas in the food processor until
3. Add the cold water/ice cubes in batches until the desired consistency is reached and blend for another
4. Add the tahini, garlic, lemon juice, salt and blend for 2
5. Finally, add the olive oil and adjust the Hummus must be tangy, rather than salty.

The flavour of tahini and garlic must be subtle and not overpowering.Tip: For a better flavour the water from the cooked chickpeas can be frozen into ice cubes and used while blending the hummus.

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‍For Baba Ghanoush

1. Pierce the eggplants using a fork or the tip of a knife, then roast in the oven on very high heat until the skin is charred/ burnt or it can be roasted directly on a gas flame until the skin is burned and the eggplants are cooked. If roasted on a gas flame, the eggplant must be constantly rotated to ensure even cooking.
2. Cool and peel the eggplants. Ensure that the charred black skin particles are completely removed, else they will be visible in the Baba Ghanoush.
3. Place the eggplants in a colander and put them in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
4. Using a knife, cut the eggplants into small pieces, and then add the onion, garlic, bell peppers, lemon juice, olive oil, season with salt and cumin.

Mix using a fork in a mashing movement.

5. Add the tomatoes, parsley and
6. Adjust the seasoning and sourness.
7. Pour the mixture into a serving plate and sprinkle some pomegranate molasses, pomegranate seeds and olive oil on top.

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