Treat yourself to a flavorful Mediterranean dish with this easy-to-follow baba ghanoush recipe. Roasting the eggplant beforehand rightly adds an intense flavor and results in a luxuriously creamy texture. Enjoy as dip or side - it's sure to fill up your plate with pleasing aroma and taste.

Gather your ingredients and preheat the oven.

Before you get started on the recipe, make sure to preheat your oven to 220°C / 425°F to roast the eggplant. You'll also need 2 large eggplants, 5 cloves of garlic, 4 tablespoons of tahini, 1 lemon for juice and zest, 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika, a tablespoon of cumin (optional), salt and pepper for taste, 3 finely chopped spring onions and sesame oil for a finishing touch.

Roast the eggplant properly to get that smoky flavor.

First, cut the eggplants in half and score them lengthwise. Drizzle a bit of oil on top before placing them skin side down on a baking sheet. Roast for around 30 minutes until the eggplants are soft and lightly browned. Be sure to check them often to prevent burning - this is essential for bringing out that smoky flavor! When they're done, let the eggplants cool down before scooping out all the flesh with a spoon for use in your baba ghanoush.

Mash up the eggplant with garlic, spices, and lemon juice.

Once you have all of your ingredients, it's time to combine them in a bowl and mash everything up with a fork. Start by adding the mashed eggplant, then add garlic cloves, cumin, minced parsley, tahini sauce, olive oil, lemon juice and salt. You can adjust the amount of each ingredient according to your tastes. Finally, stir everything together until combined before transferring the dip into a serving dish and garnishing with some extra Parsley. Enjoy!

Mix in tahini, olive oil, and parsley for extra flavor and creaminess.

For an extra bit of creaminess and flavor, add some tahini sauce, olive oil and minced parsley to your baba ghanoush. Tahini gives the dip a nutty, sesame-like flavor that's a classic in Mediterranean cuisine. Olive oil also adds to the creaminess factor, as well as a healthy fat that helps balance out the flavors. Finally, adding some freshly minced parsley will enhance all of the flavors with herbaceous undertones. Together, these ingredients are sure to elevate your dip game!

Serve with warm flatbread or vegetable sticks like celery or carrots!

For the perfect pairing, serve your baba ghanoush with warm flatbread or crunchy vegetable sticks like celery and carrot. Dip into the baba ghanoush, and enjoy a snack that's full of Mediterranean flavors - perfect for any occasion! The roasted eggplant dip is creamy, nutty and sure to be a hit with family and friends alike.