Ingredients
- 2 pounds Italian eggplants
- 1 large clove of fresh garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, more to taste
- ¼ cup tahini
- ⅓ cup olive oil, plus more for brushing the eggplant and garnish
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus extra for garnish
- ¾ teaspoon salt, more/less to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- a pinch of smoked paprika, for garnish
- sliced veggies and/or pita wedges for serving
Directions
- Preheat oven to 450 and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper to prevent the eggplant from sticking to the pan.
- Halve the eggplants lengthwise, brush the cut sides lightly with olive oil, and place them in the prepared pan with the cut sides down.
- Roast the eggplant until the interior is very tender throughout and the skin is collapsing, about 35 to 40 minutes (this might take longer if you are using 1 large eggplant).
- Set the eggplant aside to cool for a few minutes, then flip the eggplants over and scoop out the flesh with a large spoon into a mesh strainer over a bowl (pick out any skin bits and discard the skins).
- Let the eggplant rest for a few minutes and shake/stir a few times to release as much moisture as possible.
- Discard the eggplant drippings, drain and wipe bowl, and dump the eggplant into the bowl.
- Add the garlic and lemon juice to the eggplant and stir vigorously with a fork until eggplant breaks down.
- Add the tahini to the bowl, stir and slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the mixture is pale and creamy (use the fork to break up any long strings of eggplant).
- Stir in the parsley, salt, and cumin.
- Season to taste with more salt and/or lemon juice.
- Transfer the baba ganoush to a serving bowl, lightly drizzle olive oil on top, then sprinkle parsley and smoked paprika on top.
- Serve with veggies and/or pita wedges.
Recipe (with slightly adapted wording) from Cookie + Kate.