- 1 large eggplant
- 1/4 cup tahini, plus more as needed
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, plus more as needed
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
- salt, to taste
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Directions:
Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill. Prick the eggplant with a fork in several places and place on the grill rack 4 to 5 inches from the fire. Grill, turning frequently, until the skin blackens and blisters and the flesh just begins to feel soft, 10 to 15 minutes.
Transfer the eggplant to a baking sheet and bake until very soft, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool slightly, and peel off and discard the skin and the juice, using only the flesh.
Place the eggplant flesh in a bowl. Using a fork, mash the eggplant into a paste. Alternatively, run it through a food processor. Add the tahini, the garlic, lemon juice, and cumin and mix well. Season with salt (I used 1/4 teaspoon), then taste and add more tahini and/or lemon juice, if needed.
Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl and spread with the back of a spoon to form a shallow well. Drizzle the olive oil over the top. Serve at room temperature.
Myrtle's Note: I loved this recipe. I accidentally doubled it because I roasted two eggplants instead of one. Something that I did was to peel off one strip of skin and then use a spoon to scoop out all the roasted goodness inside. This way, the clean-up was rather easy. Of course, I left off the olives and parsley. They are in the original recipe. However, I would like to point out that in the Lebanese restaurants I have visited, I have never had olives or parsley with the baba ganoush I ordered.
Source: http://www.food.com/recipe/baba-ganoush-the-best-in-the-world-67570
