Baba ghanouj, with its distinct smoky flavour and creamy texture, is up there with the best of Middle Eastern food in my book. Along with  hummus it holds a certain nostalgia for me, forever being on the table alongside fresh saj and soujouk when we'd sit down to eat with family in Cyprus. We'd usually keep a tub of it on hand back at home in London, but up until recently I hadn't really tried making it myself. 

This was in part due to the fact I didn't have a gas range at home, and also because the purist in me remains stubborn on charring the aubergines instead of the simpler (and cleaner) process of baking them, but once I moved into my flat last year, equipped with a gas range cooker, I couldn't resist trying it out.  

There is a fair amount of debate concerning what makes the 'perfect' baba ghanouj, and writer Felicity Cloake tackles this quite well in her column for The Guardian. Like Felicity, I like researching and testing different takes on a recipe to get the perfect version, and among other resources I used her article as an aid in my quest for the ultimate creamy, smoky and garlicky dip. 

Personally I like enough lemon to taste but not enough to make the flavour obviously citrusy, a hint of garlic (1 clove per every two aubergines), and the essential ingredient, tahini - although just a little otherwise you'll end up with something more akin to hummus. The below recipe is what I consider to be the perfect baba ghanouj, and now that I've found the right balance the only thing likely to change when I make it is whether I garnish it with chopped mint or not. 

Don't let the process of charring it put you off, likewise if you don't have a gas hob don't let that deter you either as you can still make delicious baba ghanouj without this process. What I find is most important is creating the right balance of flavours according to your own personal taste - although I think you might quite like the recipe below nevertheless. 

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Baba Ghanouj

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 medium aubergines

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons tahini paste

Juice of half a lemon

Pinch of salt

Olive oil and pomegranate seeds to serve

Method

1. Burn the aubergines using a gas cooker. Sit the aubergines on top of a low-medium flame, turning often. Cook until they are practically caving in on themselves. If you don't have a gas hob, prick and bake the aubergines whole in an oven set to 180°c (160°c FAN) for 30-40 minutes. 
2. Leave the cooked aubergines to cool slightly before peeling away the skin. Place the flesh into a fine mesh sieve and leave to slowly drain for 20 minutes. 
3. After draining, break the flesh up gently with a fork - I like to keep mine quite chunky but you can mash it up as much or as little as you like. 
4. Stir in the minced garlic, tahini and salt. Add the lemon juice and taste - adjust with more tahini/lemon/salt as needed. 
5. Serve with olive oil and pomegranate seeds. 

Hummus is something I can’t remember trying for the first time because I’ve never known life without it, and I don’t think there will ever be a day where I’d turn down a dip into its creamy chickpea waters. Aside from one brand available in supermarkets, the tubbed variety is really just… not hummus. Real hummus, in all its homemade glory, is fresh and nutty, spiked with lemon and a touch of garlic and should be somewhat airy and delectably smooth. Best served at room temperature, drizzled in good quality olive oil and a dash of sumac. Sharing with friends, optional.

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Hummus

Makes 500g

Recipe adapted from Ottolenghi/Samimi’s Basic Hummus recipe in their gorgeous cookbook, Jerusalem

Ingredients

250g dry chickpeas (equates to roughly 500g when cooked and skins removed)

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1.5 litres water

3 garlic cloves

170g light tahini

Juice of 1 lemon

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Sumac, olive oil, toasted pine nuts* (to serve)

Method

1. Soak the dry chickpeas overnight in double the amount of water.

2. The next day drain the chickpeas and cook in a saucepan on a high heat with the bicarbonate of soda for a few minutes before adding the water. Cook for 30-40 minutes or until the chickpeas are tender.

3. Once cooled enough to handle, pop the chickpeas out of the skins using your thumbs, index and middle finger. It’s therapeutic, trust me.

4. Add the chickpeas to a food processor with the garlic and salt and pulse until crumb-like. Add the lemon juice and tahini and blitz until smooth. Next, keep the blender running and pour in about 100-120ml of cold water and blend for a few minutes until you have what is pretty much the most delicious hummus around. Leave to rest for 20-30 minutes before serving, otherwise keep refrigerated until needed.

5. To serve, spread lovingly on a plate, adorn with a drizzle of olive oil, a dusting of sumac and a few toasted pine nuts.

6. Serve at room temperature.

*Spread the pine nuts on a baking sheet and blast at full temp for 3-5 minutes.