Baba Ghanoush, The Raw Food Way!
This is a great time of year for food lovers. The farmer’s markets are brimming with fruit and vegetables, fresh and in season, waiting for us to enjoy. Eggplant, the glossy, deep purple member of the nightshade family is showing up in all of it’s various forms. I have always loved eggplant, especially in Baba Ghanoush (eggplant and garlic dip). I wanted a raw food recipe. Raw eggplant can be bitter and have an unpleasing texture. But if you dice and freeze it, once you thaw it, you can achieve the texture you need and also eliminates some of the bitterness associated with raw eggplant.
Nutritionally, eggplant contains chlorogenic acid which is one of the most potent free radical scavengers found in plants. Benefits attributed to chlorogenic acid include antimutagenic (anti-cancer), antimicrobial, anti-LDL (bad cholesterol) and antiviral activities. It is also very high in fiber.
This recipe is full of raw garlic, which I love and feel is the best thing about it! However, you might want to add it slowly to suit your taste.
Baba Ghanoush
- 2-3 cloves of garlic
- 1/2 cup cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours
- 1 large eggplant, diced, frozen and thawed
- 1/2 lemon, juice from
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- pinch of salt
- Advanced preparation: Peel, dice and freeze the eggplant. Thaw before you prepare the eggplant. Soak cashews.
- Start food processor and drop garlic, clove by clove into the spinning blade. It will fine dice it and throw it on the wall of the processor. Add the cashews and process until smooth. Add diced eggplant, lemon juice, olive oil and pinch of salt. Process until smooth. Enjoy with your choice of flat breads.
Natalie wrote on July 5, 2012
I froze the eggplant for 2.5 days and there was no trace of bitterness. Deliciouse recipe! Thank you for posting so many wonderful and easy to execute ideas.
Emanuella wrote on June 13, 2012
If You add “tahine” You obtain the real arab (Syrian and Lebanon especially) babagannuj….I simply love it!!!
Mary wrote on February 7, 2012
I tried this with the Tahini and I found I could still taste a really bitter eggplant flavour. I froze the eggplant overnight and let it completely thaw, but I think this batch is destined for the compost 🙁 I generally love Baba Ghanoush, but other than that am not generally fond of eggplant, so it is probably just me and not the recipe which seems to have rave reviews from many others. If anyone has any other suggestions on how to remove that bitter eggplant taste without cooking, I’d certainly try the recipe again.
Susan wrote on February 7, 2012
It needs more time in the freezer before you make it. Overnight isn’t enough.
Valerie wrote on October 6, 2011
I LOVE eggplant, and this recipe! I can share with you that it is part of the deadly nightshade family. I personally can only eat this 2-3 times a year as the inflammatory response my body gets from it is quite uncomfortable. It really stinks, but what is one-two days of discomfort in exchange for deliciousness?
Marian @ marianwrites wrote on September 21, 2011
This was delicious! I added some raw spinach for a fun color and I really enjoyed it! Thanks for the great recipe.
Sacha wrote on September 12, 2011
Susan: WOW! I was a little skeptical when I saw this recipe because I didn’t think a raw eggplant dish could work. Being a newbie to raw food and an eggplant addict, I had to try it… and boy was I wrong! IT WAS DELICIOUS!
well done! 🙂
Dana wrote on June 14, 2011
@oz
I am from Romania 🙂 I usually don’t buy meat and dairy products because my parents live at the countryside and they raise chickens, turkey, pigs and pretty much everything 🙂 Of course, the animals are grass fed and no chemicals are used for plants and trees 🙂 That is why 95% of my food is organic and I’m trying to keep it that way. So i try to buy organic avocados, coconuts ( which are soooo expensive ) and pretty much everything I can’t get from my parents, but I just can’t afford to buy so much organic nuts (I mainly buy almonds because I love love love my coffee with almond milk and coconut milk, so I have to make it).
My point is that a good part of my food comes for free, and if I take that part out I will have to buy organic food appropriate to a raw vegan diet to replace it 🙂 and organic food in my country(especially the exotic stuff) is very very expensive.
Oz wrote on June 5, 2011
to Dana –
If you are from Israel, I can assure you that it is possible to “get away” with eating raw and not taking a loan to do so. If you compare the money you’d spent on dairy and meat products, you’ll find (as I have) that nuts are a reasonable price to pay. Also, we don’t need big amounts of them, just a handful a day is enough. Anyway – they best way to find out if this is possible for you is to try it! 🙂
Dana wrote on May 19, 2011
Ugh, i really want to go raw, but I find it really expensive 🙁 … the nuts in my country are extremely pricey… also, I’m kinda scared of all the calories from the recipes, and I’ve also taken out honey or any kind of sugar (except for fruits, mostly berries) from my diet, and I noticed you use agave and maple syrup in most of your recipes… Anyway, you have an amazing website and you are extremely talented 🙂 maybe I won’t go raw vegan right now, but I will for sure incorporate some of your gorgeous recipes in my diet 🙂 Thank you!!!