Smoky Baba Ganoush

Total Time: 45 mins Preparation Time: 5 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• 3 medium eggplants
• 130 g tahini (sesame paste)
• 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 1/8 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• flat leaf parsley or cilantro leaf

Recipe

• 1 preheat the oven to 375f (190c).
• 2 prick each eggplant a few times, then char the outside of the eggplants by placing them directly on the flame of a gas burner and as the skin chars, turn them until the eggplants are uniformly-charred on the outside. (if you don’t have a gas stove, you can char them under the broiler. if not, skip to the next step.).
• 3 place the eggplants on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until they’re completely soft; you should be able to easily poke a paring knife into them and meet no resistance.
• 4 remove from oven and let cool.
• 5 split the eggplant and scrape out the pulp. puree the pulp in a blender or food processor with the other ingredients until smooth.
• 6 taste, and season with additional salt and lemon juice, if necessary. serve drizzle with olive oil, perhaps some herbs and with crackers, sliced baguette, or toasted pita chips for dipping.
• 7 storage: baba ganoush can be made and refrigerated for up to five days prior to serving.