I don’t use a food processor to make baba ganoush. A fork is perfect for mashing the roasted eggplant into a flavorful, somewhat chunky mixture of tahini, lemon juice, and spices.

Scooping the flesh out of the papery skins is easy enough: Seal says that some Turkish cooks also reject any flesh that is even slightly discoloured, but, like her, I enjoy the "intense smoky flavour" these bits supply, so I won't be wasting any. Tahini is a paste made from sesame seeds with a consistency similar to almond or peanut butter. You’ll often find it used in hummus, salad dressings, and dips. It can be found in most grocery stores. Just look near the international or Mediterranean foods and we bet you’ll find it. You can also buy it online.This recipe involves grilling the aubergine to remove the skin and cook the flesh, this also gives a smokier flavour, but you can also use an oven set to as high as it will go to bake the aubergine for around 40 mins until the flesh softens and the skins darkens. If you have a gas hob or barbecue then removing the skin by charring it over the flame will give a smokier flavour. This is easy to do but you need to use long-handled tongs to turn the aubergine as each patch blisters. Parsley and mint are the most usual choices; Ottolenghi uses both, and Helou suggests either/or, while everyone else plumps for one or the other, except Lebovitz, who goes for parsley or coriander. I'm not sure about the latter's soapy flavour here: the peppery sharpness of parsley seems more fitting, but best of all, in my opinion, is sweet mint, which pairs very nicely with the aubergine.

In a serving bowl, stir the lemon juice into the tahini until it loosens up. Add the garlic and two-thirds of the chopped herbs, and season again to taste. Add a squeeze more lemon juice if necessary. Step 4: Stir the roasted eggplant into the tahini mixture. I use a spoon to scoop out the soft flesh and then use a fork to mash it into the tahini and lemon juice mixture. I like some texture so I don’t use a food processor to make baba ganoush. A fork works perfectly fine!the eggplants roast, combine tahini, lemon juice, garlic, cumin and the salt in a medium bowl. Set aside so the flavors meld. the roasted eggplants, drain excess liquid, scrape out the flesh, and add to the tahini mixture. (Discard excess liquid and skins). Mash the roasted eggplant into the tahini mixture with a fork until somewhat smooth with some texture remaining. Some common ingredients used to make this creamy dip include garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, tahini, mint and parsley, and pomegranate seeds or walnuts. Mash the aubergines gently with a fork, and then stir into the tahini mixture. Top with the remaining herbs and the pomegranate seeds, if using. Pour a moat of oil around the edge and serve. Slit the aubergines lengthways and scoop out the flesh in long strands, discarding the skins. Put in a sieve and leave to drain for 30 minutes, or squeeze out if you're in a hurry. Season.