3 to 4 long Japanese eggplants
1 head of garlic
1/2 to 1 tsp. cumin powder
2 T. olive oil
2 T. tahini
juice of 1 large lemon or lime
4 to 5 sprigs parsley
salt to taste

Oven:  350 degrees

Cooking time:  45 minuets to 1 hour

Prep time:  15 to 20 minutes

Source:  this recipe has been adapted from a recipe submitted by Cedar Louis to an East-West Center cookbook.

While oven is heating, wash eggplants but do not peel or remove stem.  Puncture skin with a fork and place on either a greased baking sheet or coat eggplants with spray cooking oil.

Slice the tops off the garlic head, drizzle olive oil among the cloves, and loosely wrap in foil.  Put this on the pan with the eggplants for roasting.

During roasting — about 45 minutes more or less depending on the thickness of the eggplant — occasionally turn the eggplants.  Take tongs and gently squeeze the eggplant:  when they’re soft, they’re done.  Leave the garlic in the oven for 15 minutes after the eggplants have been removed or until it is soft enough to squeeze the garlic cloves from their casings.

The eggplant should be cool enough to handle.  Cut off the stem portion and make an incision in the skin to open the eggplants.  Scrape out the flesh.  Once the flesh has been removed,  chop it into a pulp, squeeze the garlic cloves into the pulp, then mix these ingredients on the chopping board.

Transfer the eggplant and garlic pulp to a bowl, add cumin, tahini, and the juice of one lemon or lime.  Add salt to taste.

Refrigerate and then mix in the olive oil and garnish with parsley before serving.

More:

• The first few times I made this, I crushed raw garlic into a paste, but the taste was too strong and bitter.  I recommend roasting the garlic, and while you’re at it, roast another head or two to spread directly on crostini, French bread, crackers, whatevah.
• Baba Ghanouj is a great dip but I also have it for breakfast — a piece of Ezekiel bread with a layer of cream cheese then a layer of BG.