FYI, to anyone interested, this dish is called "mutabal kusa" in Arabic, though in English you could call it "zucchini mutabal." Mutabal is any kind of cooked+mashed vegetable mixed with some or all of the usual suspects of garlic, lemon, tahini, yogurt, olive oil, spices, herbs, etc. and kusa means zucchini. Baba ghanoush is a type of mutabal made with eggplant. You can also make mutabal with winter squashes, beets, carrots, etc. In the English speaking world, "zucchini hummus" certainly conveys the sense of what this dish is, so I understand why it's used here. That said, because in Arabic "hummus" literally means "chickpeas" (or the dip we all know and love made from chickpeas), someone from a country that eats this food regularly would probably interpret "zucchini hummus" to mean regular hummus topped with some cooked zucchini. For example, "hummus foul" (where "foul" is the word for fava beans) does NOT mean hummus made with fava beans instead of chickpeas. It means regular hummus topped with cooked fava beans (usually with olive oil and spices added). The more you know :)
Thank you for this comment. You saved me the trouble. Anything blended with a little tahini is called "hummus" even when it has no chick peas! Not to mention that the original dish they reference is "hummus-be-tahini", it isn't "hummus"! I know this seems picky but I think it's a lack of regard, not intentional, for the language or the culture..I mean if someone put a cooked carrot in a bun and called it a "hotdog" it would be equally wrong.
Thank you for this information. I'm wondering what a butternut squash mutabal might be like! A little sweet but with the spices maybe a nice little savory kick to it.
@@kayb6803it’s delicious! Add some Moroccan spices and some chili pepper and sprinkle with chopped cilantro and crushed pistachio nuts! I use Argan oil instead of olive oil for this version.
Thanks for saving me the trouble too! Mutabbal is definitely a certain dip, but the general term in Arabic is “ghmaas”, which literally means dip or scoop.
I've been making this (calling it zucchini baba ganousch, like you said) for years because I hardly ever buy eggplant, but always have zucchini, especially in the summer.
No words to describe how fantastic this came out. Blown away. I have been making regular humus (using chickpeas) since forever, but this really changes things for me.
I’m keto and actually like zucchini. So I’m definitely going to make this! I might try roasting the garlic too. Oh, and maybe a version with roasted Hatch chiles since they’re just showing up in the markets here.
I've made this recipe three times in the last two weeks and it's FANTASTIC! it pairs incredibly well with chicken shawarma and great on its own too. so anyone thinking of trying this recipe...highly recommend! Thank you Chef John for another amazing recipe.
I feel attacked. Who doesn't like zucchini? Maybe my family is weird, but zucchini was always a staple in our kitchen. Deep fried zucchini sticks, zucchini bread, roasted, spiralled, etc. I'm definitely giving this dish a shot, looks delicious.
Same! Simple, roast zucchini as part of a veggie medley, zucchini butter pasta, seared Parmesan crusted zucchini alongside ravioli, zucchini pesto in any number of forms, zucchini instead of meatballs in a veggie spaghetti and red sauce. I didn’t like it as a kid, but my opinion has CHANGED. I should look into zucchini bread!
Same here! I love zucchini and use it a lot! I make a zucchini and Brie soup which is totally creamy and delicious! So many great ways to use zucchini and so many excellent recipes for zucchini 😁😁😁. Plus I have never found zucchini bitter at all!!
I make a green vegetable alternative to hummus with brussel sprouts. Very easy. Dump a bag of frozen brussel sprouts in a small crock pot with a couple of table spoons of minced garlic and EVO. Cook on high until the brussel sprouts are soft and can be mashed, around 3 or 4 hours. Don't over cook or it will start to get bitter. This is the basic recipe. you can add other seasonings as you like. Great with celery for an extra healthy kick.
I just had to try this. It's still not cooled, but I tried a bit to season it and it already tasted great. Looking forward to tomorrow. Thanks for the recipe, I'll make it from time to time, but I have no problems with the "normal" one, so I'll stick to that mostly.
Sounds like a very delicious dip but I have to disagree with the statement that zucchini are an unexciting vegetable. They are so versatile and have a fantastic taste. ETA: I always blend the garlic with the lemon juice before I add it to the hummus. It takes the edge off the raw garlic and makes it less overwhelming. I would do the same here.
Did the salt thing with eggplant and WHAT A DIFFERENCE! If this works the same (sure it does) I’ll try this. I didn’t hate zucchini but had problems eating them. Hopefully, that will work.
This sounds like heaven! I love regular hummus so it isn't going to replace it, but it's good to mix things up, and I am quite fond of zucchini. If you're following a keto lifestyle, you should probably limit the amount of garlic you add since garlic is surprisingly high in sugar, but a couple of cloves isn't going to mess up your macros. The zucchini version would probably work quite well with flax seed crackers!
I recently made hummus with tomatillos and serrano peppers and it tastes exactly like guacamole. I've been calling it my avocado free guac so this vid reminded me of that.
Why not add some nuts if you’re not allergic? I think it might give it that richness. Especially if you want to replace sesame which also many are allergic to
I think Zucchini Babaganoush was a contestant on Most Extreme Elimination Challenge. In any case, this recipe looks interesting but it mostly just makes me want to get some hummus and try it with blue potato chips.
i never actually roasted garlic yet, but maybe this would even be better with the garlic roasted, and maybe add some dill, maybe a few pine-nuts.....Also, one time i was eating some really good pumpkin seeds, and thought it would make a nice pate, so if you want to experiment with that, maybe you could also add a little wine, olives, sun-dried tomato, roasted garlic...i don't know what else...🍓🌿
I am not a big fan of zucchini, but I will try this salt trick, that I I only knew for eggplants. 😋 Furthermore, I wonder if this baked zucchini could be a good ingredient for a pesto. 🤔
Ha! I just made something like this yesterday before your video. I was trying for a Baba Ganoush without the eggplant. I didn’t bother to salt or cube the zucchini, just cut off the ends and let it get nicely charred in the oven. Then split them and let them drain in a colander. It is great. Might add roasted garlic next time to deepen the flavors.
Beautiful dish on a beautiful countertop! I want to crunch into some of that so badly. Birds keep picking off squash blossoms so no squash ☹.... wondering what other veggies I might experiment with in dip. Yard full of eggplant, been eating a lot of Baba Ghanoush😋.
I love zucchini and I also love hummus, but when I make it I don't put in the tahini as I hate sesame seeds. I'll use Chickpeas and throw in a little anchovy for flavor. I'm going to try this zucchini version with the anchovy for flavor as well. Thanks Chef John. 😎
any idea how well this would work with summer squash? my mom is grain free and weird about zucchini. the two are basically the same to me but maybe im a fool
Looks and sounds great! Would it change it too much to roast the garlic? And, is there a substitute for the tahini? I love it, but some around me don't... Also, hard to find in the city/county I live in. Thanks
