Baba ganoush without tahini will not make any difference in taste if you substitute it with cashew and almond paste. Here is the vegan, and gluten-free recipe of famous Lebanese baba ganoush which is an incredibly delicious eggplant roasted dip with a creamy texture that you can pair up with any bread.
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What is Baba Ganoush?
Baba Ganoush is the most popular Lebanese eggplant roasted dip that people love to have in Arab countries according to their taste and style. Middle eastern, Moroccan and Turkish versions are epic and give you the variety in taste to enjoy this creamy roasted and savory flavor of aubergine dip.
Living in the middle east, I got an opportunity to try different variations of baba ganoush, and believe me all made me fall in love with this recipe. If you are picky to eat eggplant, then try this recipe and you surely will love to have it again and again.
Difference Between Hummus and Baba Ganoush
Many people got confused and relate the hummus with baba ganoush. Both are different, hummus is the chickpea dip while baba ganoush is the eggplant dip. Both look similar but taste different.
How Does Baba Ganoush Taste Like Without Tahini?
Eggplant naturally gives tender, mild, and a little sweet and bitter flavors. After roasting, it turned to a creamy and nutty taste that became more delicious with the combination of garlic, olive oil, and paste of nuts. Usually, the baba ganoush is prepared with tahini paste which is the best blend of sesame seeds with olive oil but here in this recipe, I prepared baba ganoush without tahini and used cashews and almond paste as a substitute which is extremely delicious, and you will not feel any difference in taste. So, if you are allergic to sesame then try this recipe to enjoy this most popular eggplant dip.
Substitute of Tahini in Baba Ganoush
Tahini paste or tahina is mostly used in middle eastern dishes which is thick and creamy paste of sesame seeds dominate with nutty and earthy flavor in different recipes. Lebanese Baba ganoush recipe seems incomplete without tahini and roasted eggplant flesh. Here are 5 options that you can use to substitute tahini in your recipes.
- Almond paste or almond butter
- Cashew paste or butter
- Combination of cashews and almond paste.
- Peanut butter
- Sunflower butter
Baba Ganoush Ingredients
It's simple to use fresh Mediterranean ingredients to make this delicious eggplant dip to serve with variety of dishes.
Eggplant: Used good quality purple eggplant.
Almond and Cashew Paste: Use homemade or store bought. Both works for this recipe. It's easy to make at home. Follow the recipe in recipe card.
Olive Oil: Extra virgin olive oil used in this recipe. Don't use any other oil.
Garlic: Fresh garlic cloves used in this recipe. Roasted garlic added to create the final look.
Lemon: Use fresh lemon juice. Avoid bottled extract as it will change the taste.
Garnish with roasted garlic, paprika, parsley, and lemon slices.
How to Make Baba Ganoush Without Tahini
Roast the Eggplant in Oven: You can roast the eggplant on stovetop or in a griller but I choose to bake it in oven which is simple, easy and quick way without creating any mess.
So first of all clean the eggplant by rinsing with tap water and clean the skin with kitchen cloth.
Now softly prick the eggplant with knife. This step will help to transfer the steam inside during cooking to get perfectly cooked pulp of eggplant.
Preheat the oven at 250°C or 482°F and bake the eggplant for about 30 to 40 minutes.
After 30 minutes, carefully take it out and cool it down.
After Take out Flesh of Eggplant: After baking, as the temperature drops take out from oven and make a cut from middle with knife and take out the flesh of eggplant in strainer to release excess water. Completely discard the skin and only take out flesh. If there is any presence of tough seeds then remove it as it will create a stringy texture.
Place the flesh of eggplant in strainer for 10 to 15 minutes to release natural water then it will be ready to make the paste.
Preparation of Almond and Cashew Paste: Use ready made cashew or almond paste or simply make it at home. Soak the almonds (1 cup) and cashews (1 cup) in warm water for about 2 hours. After 2 hours, remove the skin of almonds with hand and blend it with water using blender to make thick paste.
Blending: In a blender, add eggplant paste, almond and cashew paste (if not using tahini paste), olive oil, garlic cloves, and salt. Squeeze fresh lemon as per your taste and give it a good blend to make thick paste.
Garnish: Baba ganoush (no tahini) is ready to serve. Pour it in a platter, make swirls using spoon and garnish with paprika, olive oil, lemon slices and parsley.
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Tips to Make No Tahini Baba Ganoush
- To make thick, consistent and creamy baba ganoush, you need good quality purple eggplant. Fresh and firm eggplant are always recommended to make perfect taste.
- Properly roast the eggplant in oven, stovetop or in air fryer to get roasted and cooked taste of eggplant flash. If it's undercooked or overcooked then the taste will be compromise.
- After roasting and taking out flesh of eggplant, give it time on strainer to release excess water. In this way, the complaints of watery baba ganoush will minimize.
- Make sure to remove the seeds and stringy parts of eggplant as it will make it rough in texture.
- Never use the skin to roasted eggplant as it will make it bitter in taste.
- Avoid to use bottled lemon as it will change the taste. Fresh lemon is always recommended according to taste.
- If you are allergic to sesame then use almond paste or cashew paste or use mixture of both. The combination of almond and cashew makes a perfect taste with eggplant flesh.
- Baba ganoush with roasted garlic always gives you the best taste. Must try this if you haven't...
Serving Idea
It's best to serve baba ganoush with flat bread, naans or dinner rolls. Different options of arabic salad like tabbouleh and Labanese Fattoush goes well with baba ganoush.
Whenever I make shish tawook and tandoori chicken, I love to make baba ganoush as a side dish with pita bread.
Q & A
Yes, you can! simple wash, wipe and cut the eggplant in halves and air fryer at 220C for 20 minutes. Cool it down! take out flesh with spoon. Blend the eggplant flesh with almond or cashew paste (or tahini paste), garlic cloves, salt, olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon. Garnish and serve.
Make sure to release excess water after roasting the eggplant as it's a main reason of thin consistency. If your baba ganoush already showing watery texture then fix it with thick almond paste, tahini paste, or simply roast another eggplant and add it. That's the only way to fix the watery eggplant.
Choose purple eggplant that looks shiny, firm, smooth, and fresh. Never use wrinkled or over ripen.
Transfer the leftover baba ganoush in air tight glass container and store in refrigerator for 2 days. If you want to store longer then store in freezer for 10 days. Avoid to store longer as it's homemade and doesn't carry preservatives.
Serve it cold at room temperature.
Yes, it's vegan, gluten-free and keto friendly. Even if you make this recipe with tahini paste which is the paste of roasted sesame. If you make it with almond or cashew paste then still it's a vegan staple that you serve with vegan friendly bread.
More Eggplant Ideas: Brinjal Bhaji | Pan Fried Eggplant | Makloubeh
More Middle Eastern Recipes
If you are looking forward to try this Baba Ghanoush No Tahini recipe or something else, then don’t forget to Rate the Recipe by clicking on stars and ask your query in comment section. I would love to reply to make your experience successful. It will be encouraging if you share your recipe shots with me to share on stories at Instagram.
Baba Ganoush Without Tahini (Eggplant Roasted Dip)
Ingredients
- 2 Purple eggplants medium size
- ½ cup Almond and Cashew paste
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil Extra virgin
- 2 Cloves Garlic
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Lemon freshly squeezed
- 1 Clove Roasted Garlic For Garnish
- Chopped parsley and olive oil for garnish.
Instructions
Roast the Eggplant in Oven
- Preheat the oven at 250°C or 482°F.
- Wash and clean the eggplant.
- Line the baking tray with Aluminum foil and place the eggplant over it.
- Prick with knife to penetrate the steam. It will help to cook the eggplant from inside.
- Now roast it in oven for 30 to 40 minutes.
Scoop out the Flesh of Baked Eggplant
- After baking, as the temperature drops take out from oven and make a cut from middle with knife and take out the flesh of eggplant in strainer to release excess water. Completely discard the skin and only take out flesh. If there is any presence of tough seeds then remove it as it will create a stringy texture.
Preparation of Almond and Cashew Paste
- Use ready made cashew or almond paste or simply make it at home. Soak the almonds (1 cup) and cashews (1 cup) in warm water for about 2 hours. After 2 hours, remove the skin of almonds with hand and blend it with water using blender to make thick paste.
Blending
- In a blender, add eggplant paste, almond and cashew paste (if not using tahini paste), olive oil, garlic cloves, and salt. Squeeze fresh lemon as per your taste and give it a good blend to make thick paste.
Garnish
- Baba ganoush (no tahini) is ready to serve. Pour it in a platter, make swirls using spoon and garnish with paprika, olive oil, lemon slices and parsley.
Video
Notes
- Fresh and firm eggplant is always recommended to make a perfect taste.
- Use premium quality eggplant.
- Properly roast the eggplant in the oven, stovetop, or in an air fryer to get the roasted and cooked taste of eggplant flash. If it's undercooked or overcooked then the taste will be compromised.
- After roasting and taking out the flesh of eggplant, give it time on a strainer to release excess water. In this way, the complaints of watery baba ganoush will minimize. Make sure to remove the seeds and stringy parts of eggplant as it will make it rough in texture.
- Never use the skin to roasted eggplant as it will make it bitter in taste. Avoid using bottled lemon as it will change the taste. Fresh lemon is always recommended according to taste.
- If you are allergic to sesame then use almond paste or cashew paste or use a mixture of both. The combination of almond and cashew makes a perfect taste with eggplant flesh.
Hinz
Here is simple, easy and quick recipe of baba ganoush without tahini. If you have any question related to this recipe, please ask here..