Cut eggplant in half and drizzle olive oil on each meaty half. Lay cut side down on a parchment lined roasting pan and place in ready temperature oven for approximately 30 minutes. A large eggplant may require as much as an additional 10 minutes. The pulp should be very soft when done.
1 large eggplant
Allow to cool 10 minutes. Scoop into a fine strainer and mash with a fork to drain as much liquid as possible.
Add the eggplant mash to a medium bowl (if using an immersion blender) or food processor with the lemon juice. Add the tahini (this keeps well for a long time in the refrigerator!), spices, and pulse several times.
2 tablespoons tahini
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pinch ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon paprika
Slowly drizzle olive oil. Eyeball for creaminess to determine need for additional tablespoon.
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
Transfer baba ganoush to a serving dish and garnish with paprika and fresh parsley. Enjoy with assorted raw vegetables and warmed pita bread.
fresh parsley
RECIPE NOTES
Tahini keeps for quite a long while in the refrigerator.