¼ cup sesame seeds, dry roasted in pan
ice and ice water
2 lbs eggplants (choose smaller ones with less seeds)
2 medium cloves of garlic, pressed or minced
2 tablespoons lemon juice, more if necessary
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing the eggplant and garnish
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus extra for garnish
¾ teaspoon salt, to taste
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
2 tbsp fresh pomegranate seeds, for garnish
Pinch of smoked paprika, for garnish

1. Tahini paste: In a food processor, add the roasted sesame seeds and a couple ice cubes. Blitz to form a paste like consistency. You will notice that the ice/cold water makes the tahini lighter in color and fluffier. Taste to check the bitterness and consistency. Add more ice to subdue the bitterness.

2. Preheat the oven to 450°F with a rack in the upper third of the oven. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent the eggplant from sticking to the pan. Halve the eggplants lengthwise and brush the cut sides lightly with olive oil. Place them in the prepared pan with the halved sides down. Roast the eggplant until the interior is very tender throughout and the skin is collapsing, about 35 to 40 minutes. Set the eggplant aside to cool for a few minutes. Flip the eggplants over and scoop out the flesh with a large spoon, leaving the skin behind. Alternatively, char the eggplants directly on a grill until soft. Once cool to handle, peel the charred skin and scoop the flesh.

3. Place a mesh strainer over a mixing bowl, then transfer the flesh to the strainer and discard the skins. Pick out any stray bits of eggplant skin and discard. You want to remove as much moisture from the eggplant here as possible, so let the eggplant rest for a few minutes and shake/stir the eggplant to release some more moisture.

4. Discard all of the eggplant drippings, drain and wipe out the bowl, and dump the eggplant into the bowl. Add the garlic and lemon juice to the eggplant and stir vigorously with a fork until eggplant breaks down. Add the tahini to the bowl and stir until it’s incorporated. While stirring, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Continue stirring until the mixture is pale and creamy, and use your fork to break up any particularly long strings of eggplant. Stir in the parsley, salt and cumin. Season to taste with salt and lemon juice.

5. Transfer the baba ganoush to a serving bowl and lightly drizzle olive oil on top. Lastly, garnish with parsley, smoked paprika and pomegranate.