Baba Ganoush

Ingredients

• 2 medium eggplants (about 2 pounds or 900 grams)
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) tahini, see our homemade tahini recipe
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) lemon juice
• 2 to 3 garlic cloves, finely minced (see note)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1 teaspoon olive oil, optional

Instructions

• Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and turn broiler on (high heat). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place eggplants onto the baking sheet and prick in several places using a fork. This helps steam escape while the eggplants roast. Broil eggplants 2 minutes on all sides. The skin will darken a little and begin to smell smoky, adding lots of flavor to the dip.
• Turn broiler off, but do not remove eggplants from the oven. Heat oven to 375 degrees F, and then roast eggplants until very soft; 25 to 30 minutes. Cool 10 to 15 minutes until easily handled.
• While the eggplants roast, combine tahini, lemon juice, garlic, cumin and the salt in a medium bowl. Set aside so the flavors meld.
• Split the roasted eggplants, drain excess liquid, scrape out the flesh, and add to the tahini mixture. (Discard excess liquid and skins). Mash the roasted eggplant into the tahini mixture with a fork until somewhat smooth with some texture remaining.
• Cool to room temperature then stir in parsley and drizzle the top with olive oil. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate up to 5 days.

TIPS

• Garlic: We enjoy the extra kick garlic gives here. The tahini stands up very well to the garlic. If you’re not sure you want to use three cloves, reduce it to two or even one clove.
• Tahini: Tahini is a paste make from ground sesame seeds. You can find jars sold in most grocery stores. Look where international foods are sold. You can also buy it online or easily make tahini at home yourself.
• How to Make Baked Pita Chips: Cut 2 to 3 pitas into wedges. Add to a baking sheet and bake in a 375 degree F oven until lightly browned and crisp; 7 to 10 minutes.