There's a method to making baba ghanoush. And it applies to way more than eggplant. Will any vegetable baba? As long as it's hearty, with tough skin that can handle high heat. Carrot baba, celery-root baba, shallot baba...the possibilities! Here's how to turn anything from summer squash to sweet potato into a tasty, charred-veg dip—just don't forget the pita.
Turning a bumper crop of vegetables into a variation on baba ghanoush is easy. Start with 3 lb. summer squash or zucchini, or 2 lb. red beets, Japanese eggplants, or sweet potatoes. You don’t even need to wash them; their skins will be charred and discarded later.
You can char the veg one of two ways: tucking them into coals left over from grilling something else (i.e., ember-roasting; see below) or preparing a grill for medium-high heat. Grill vegetables, turning occasionally, until skins are charred and flesh is fork-tender, 25–35 minutes for summer squash and eggplants, 50–60 minutes for beets and sweet potatoes. Transfer to a plate and let cool slightly.
Halve vegetables lengthwise and spoon out flesh, leaving skins behind (although a few flakes here and there are great for a little extra flavor). Summer squash and eggplants have more liquid than the others, so let them drain in a colander at least 15 minutes and up to 1 hour; discard liquid.
Pulse flesh in a food processor with 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice and 1 Tbsp. tahini for summer squash, eggplants, or beets, or ¼ cup olive oil, 3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice, and 2 Tbsp. tahini for sweet potatoes, until smooth. Add ½ garlic clove, finely grated, and season with salt and pepper.
Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sumac, za’atar, crushed red pepper flakes, or Aleppo pepper. Serve with grilled flatbreads or pitas for dipping.
- Wait until the charcoal is completely covered with ash and no black spots remain.
- Shake the grill a few times to knock excess ash off the coals, then rake them around and pile them up around the vegetables.
- Be patient. The goal is to char the vegetables beyond recognition. Their skins may look unsalvageable, but that’s just a sign that the insides are tender and faintly smoky.
• Grilled Summer Squash Baba Ghanoush
• Grilled Sweet Potato Baba Ghanoush
• Grilled Beet Baba Ghanoush
• Grilled Eggplant Baba Ghanoush