Recipe | Mama Ghannouj (Baba Ghannouj made with zucchini!)

We used to live a few minutes away from the most amazing Middle Eastern fast food restaurant. The food was cheap, delicious, and plentiful, which worked well for us since we were on a tight budget. And whenever we went there, we’d always order what we called The Trifecta: Hummus, Baba Ghannouj, and Mama Ghannouj. With enough pita bread, you could make a meal out of those alone, and we often did. Because, you know, the whole tight budget thing.

After we moved away, that restaurant was one of the things we missed most. And even now, 7 years later, we still talk about it once in a while. Because no one else sells mama ghannouj! I’m sure it exists outside of that restaurant, but I haven’t seen it. Which is a sad thing, because it’s delicious.

Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 ½ lbs. zucchini grilled whole until softened and lightly charred on the outside
• ¼ c. tahini
• Juice from 1 large lemon
• 1-2 garlic cloves 2 if you want your mama ghannouj to be extra garlicky
• 1 tbsp. olive oil plus extra for drizzling on top

Instructions

• Cut the top and the bottom off of each zucchini and allow them to cool. Once cooled, cut them into large chunks.
• Combine zucchini, tahini, lemon juice, garlic cloves, and olive oil in blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and drizzle additional olive oil over the top, if desired. (I also like sprinkling mine with a little smoked paprika. It’s not traditional, but it’s delicious!) Serve with fresh veggies, pita bread or chips, or crackers.

Nutrition