| 1 | Preheat oven to 400 °F. |
| 2 | Cover baking sheet with foil. |
| 3 | Wipe eggplant and pierce with point of sharp knife. |
| 4 | Place on prepared baking sheet and bake in preheated oven 35 to 45 minutes. |
| 5 | When cool enough to handle, peel eggplants and remove seeds. |
| 6 | Place in container of food processor and sprinkle with lemon juice to keep from browning. |
| 7 | Add tahini, garlic, and salt. |
| 8 | Process until smooth. |
| 9 | Spread onto serving platter and pour small amount of olive oil over top. |
| 10 | Garnish with chopped parsley, paprika, or pomegranate seeds. |
| 11 | Serve with warmed pita bread and crudites. |
| 12 | Cover and store in refrigerator. |
| 13 | Notes: baba ghanoush is a traditional dish of lebanon and syria, and is often served with raw or blanced vegetables. |
| 14 | The combined flavors of eggplant, garlic, and lemon juice are very mediteranean. |
| 15 | For a smokey flavor, grill eggplant over hot charcoal instead of baking in the oven. |
| 16 | Variation: in greece, olive oil is used instead of tahini. |
| 17 | In syria yogurt is added for a lighter tasting dish. |
| 18 | In turkey it is called hunkar begendi, tahini and garlic are omitted and 1 cup white sauce and 1/3 cup grated cheese are mixed into the eggplant and heated before serving. |
