Ingredients
4 large eggplants - whole
6 tablespoons lemon juice - freshly pressed is best
4 heaped tablespoons tahini (sesame paste)
3 cloves garlic - peeled
½ teaspoon salt
1 sprig Italian parsley - as garnish
Preparation
Cooking time: 45 minutes. Preparation time: about 15 minutes.
The first thing to remember is neither to peel the eggplant not to chop its stem.
Pierce each side of the eggplants with a fork. Place the whole eggplants in the oven and roast them for about 45 minutes turning them over 2 or 3 times.
The eggplants are done when the outer shell is blackened or charred, and the inside is soft.
Allow to cool a little bit. Cut the aubergines open lengthwise with a knife, and scoop out the pulp with a spoon. Put the pulp in a mixing bowl and mash it into a puree with a fork or blender. Discard the skin.
If you use a food processor, be careful not to liquidize the eggplant pulp.
Use mortar and pestle to crush the peeled garlic with the salt into a smooth paste.
Add the lemon juice and the tahini alternately to the mortar, mixing it well with the pestle or a wooden spoon.
Add the tahini mixture to the eggplant puree and beat it gently but thoroughly until the babaganoush has a smooth consistency.
Pour it onto a serving dish or platter.
A moment before serving, garnish the baba ganoush with chopped parsley or parsley leaves.
Serve chilled or at room temperature with olive oil, pitta bread, radishes, and green onions.
