This deliciously creamy aubergine dip with tahini is so easy to make, with a deep, smoky flavour. The aubergines can be cooked in an oven, grill BBQ or air-fryer.
🍴 Why you will love this recipe
Aubergine dip is a creamy and delicious addition to a mezze platter, with warm pitta bread and crunchy, raw vegetables - like the classic Middle-Eastern dip Baba Ganoush.
The aubergine is grilled or roasted until the pulp is soft and smoky, and paired with tahini, garlic and lemon for maximum flavour. This lovely dip is silky, rich and totally more-ish - also delicious in sandwiches and wraps.
You can cook aubergines in the oven, under the grill on a BBQ or even in an air-fryer - just as long as the skins are blackened and the flesh is soft and collapsed, do whichever is easiest for you.
📝 What you need
Ingredients
Aubergines Look for the biggest, juiciest aubergines you can find to get the maximum yield of soft, silky flesh.
Tahini is sesame seed paste used a lot in Middle-Eastern recipes. It is now quite widely available in supermarkets, but if you can't get hold of any, peanut butter would be a good substitution.
Garlic This goes in raw, so I've opted for one clove, but you might prefer to ramp that up to two for a big flavour punch. If you're in a hurry you could use garlic paste or ready-chopped garlic instead.
Equipment
You can cook the aubergines in a number of different ways - on the grill, BBQ, oven or air-fryer. Detailed instructions for all of these are in the recipe card below.
👩🏽🍳 How to make your Aubergine Dip
For a full, printable recipe with ingredients and detailed instructions, scroll to the bottom of this page 👇🏼 .
Prick aubergines with a fork 2-3 times each. Cook until the flesh is completely soft - on a grill, BBQ, oven or air fryer (see detailed instructions below).
Leave to cool, then scoop out the soft flesh from the skins.
Leave the aubergine flesh to drain in a sieve for 30 minutes or more. Tip it into a blender or food processor, along with tahini, olive oil, garlic, cumin, lemon juice and zest and salt and pepper. Blitz until smooth.
🔪 Top Tips & FAQs
Choose the consistency of your dip - you might prefer it chunky, in which case just pulse the food processor until combined. Or for a super-smooth dip keep it running for a minute or two.
Spice up your dip with a pinch of dried chilli flakes or a fresh, de-seeded chilli blitzed into the dip.
Treat this just like hummus - it is delicious served with warm pitta bread, crackers or crisps, or crunchy raw vegetables. It is really good as a sandwich filling piled with salad, or in wraps.
You can, though its consistency will change so I really recommend serving it freshly made if possible.
If stored in an airtight container this will last around 4 days, (though it is so more-ish I doubt it will last that long!).
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📖 Recipe
Aubergine Dip with tahini
Ingredients
- 3 aubergines
- 2 tablespoon tahini
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic or 1 teaspoon garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ lemon
- fresh parsley or mint to garnish
Instructions
- Prick the aubergine skins with a fork 2-3 times each.
- To cook the aubergines:- Under the grill: Preheat the grill to its highest setting. Cover the bottom of your grill pan with foil. Cook for 18-20 minutes, turning regularly, until the skins are blackened, the aubergines have collapsed and flesh is soft.- On a BBQ: Cook on the BBQ, turning regularly, until the skins are blackened, the aubergines have collapsed and flesh is soft. This might take anything between 30-60 minutes, depending on the heat and size of your aubergines.- In the oven: Preheat your oven to 190°C (fan) / 375°F / Gas Mark 5. Place on a baking tray lined with foil and roast for 50-55 minutes, turning regularly, until collapsed.- In an Air Fryer: Preheat the air fryer to 190°C / 375°F. Cook the aubergines for 20 minutes, turning regularly.
- Leave the aubergines to cool. Place a sieve over a bowl or jug.
- When cool enough to handle, scoop out all the soft flesh from the aubergines and put it into the sieve. Leave it to drain for half an hour or more.
- Tip the aubergine flesh, tahini, olive oil, crushed garlic, ground cumin and juice and zest of half a lemon into a blender or food processor. Season generously with salt and pepper.
- Blitz until completely smooth, (this might take a minute or two), then taste and add more salt and lemon juice as required. Scatter with finely chopped parsley and/or mint and serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Toni says
My family loved all the flavors in this dip! Seriously amazing!
Robin G. says
Thanks the detailed directions walked me right through the process. Yum!
Katherine says
I love this addictive dip!
Stephanie says
This is one of my favorite dips, but I've never made it at home before. I'm excited to try this recipe!
Kim says
This recipe looks delicious! I think it would be a nice healthy appetizer for the upcoming holidays!