Issha Marie (isshamarie.com) is our talented food stylist and photographer. She is also a gifted cook, recipe developer and great friend.
This is her delicious take on classic Levantine Baba Ganoush, made a bit fiery with one of her favourites of our blends: Ethiopian Berbere.
Here is what she says about Ethiopian Berbere in her unique online cookbook Amalgam by Issha Marie :
“Personally, I use berbere anywhere I would want aromatic heat and spice. I flavour my meatloaf with it. I have made homemade ketchup and barbecue sauce with it. I have made homemade sourdough discard crackers with berbere and caraway; it was DELICIOUS. I have flavoured the filling of my cabbage rolls with it. It makes a beautiful tomato sauce. My favourite use for berbere, however, is in my recipe for baba ganoush.”
Check out Issha’s wonderful story in her cookbook at
https://amalgambyisshamarie.substack.com/p/theamalgampantry-berbere
Ingredients
3 large globe eggplants
3 to 5 TBL light olive oil or grapeseed oil
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
3 TBL pomegranate molasses
2 to 3 heaping TBL tahini
1 to 3 tsp Ethiopian Berbere
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 TBL fresh mint, finely chopped
Salt to taste
2 to 3 TBL pomegranate seeds
1 tsp chile flakes
2 TBL good-quality extra virgin olive oil
Mint and parsley leaves, torn
Instructions
Broiler method: line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Make small piercings all over the eggplants’ surface using a fork. Coat the entirety of the eggplant with grapeseed oil or light olive oil. Lay the eggplants in the aluminum-covered baking sheet and place under the broiler for about half an hour or until the eggplants have fully softened, turning the eggplants once mid-way through the broiling process.
Grill method: make small piercings over the entirety of the eggplants’ surface using a fork. Coat the pierced eggplants in light olive oil or grapeseed oil. Place the grill cover on and grill the eggplants over high heat, until the eggplants have softened. Check periodically to turn over the eggplants to ensure each side gets in contact with the grill fires.
Place the still-hot eggplants inside a large bowl and cover this bowl with a tight-fitting lid or some plastic wrap for at least half an hour or until the eggplants are cool enough to handle. This will aid in condensation and the ease in peeling off the eggplant skins.
Peel off their charred skins and discard. Chop off the eggplants’ stems. You will see a bit of smoky eggplant water at the bottom of the bowl. Discard all but roughly a tablespoon or two of this water. Combine this small amount of smoky eggplant water with the peeled eggplant and mash these together with a fork.
Add in the finely minced cloves of garlic and the pomegranate molasses. Mix thoroughly to combine.
Add in the tahini, Ethiopian Berbere, and salt to taste. Mix thoroughly. The baba ganoush should now resemble a roughly-textured but creamy dip.
Fold in the chopped parsley and mint.
Garnish the top with a generous drizzle of good-quality extra-virgin olive oil, chile flakes, pomegranate seeds, and torn mint and parsley leaves.
Serve with toasted pita, carrot sticks, radish slices, or any sliced vegetable you like.
Spices Used: Ethiopian Berbere