Roasting eggplant just got a whole lot faster in the air fryer. You can have smoky, garlicky baba ganoush in only about 25 minutes. Serve it with pita bread and/or sliced vegetables for dipping. Makes a great addition to a vegan mezze platter! Makes about ¾ cup of baba ganoush.
Cut the stem off of the top of the eggplant. Slice the eggplant down the middle lengthwise. Put a teaspoon of oil on each eggplant half, and rub it evenly across the entirety of the eggplant, including the cut side and peel. Prick several holes in the eggplant peel with a fork.
TO AIR FRY: Lay the eggplant halves in the air fryer basket. For maximum smokiness, put the eggplant halves cut side up. For less smoky flavor, put them cut side down. Air fry at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
TO ROAST IN THE OVEN: If you don't have an air fryer, roast the eggplant in the oven instead. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and put the eggplant halves cut side down on a parchment paper covered baking sheet. Roast for 45 minutes. Check at about 35 minutes for doneness since cooking times can vary.
When the eggplant is done, the cut side will be toasty brown, and the peel will be wrinkly. Remove the eggplant halves from the air fryer basket (or baking sheet), move them to a plate, and allow them to cool.
Once the eggplant halves are cool enough to touch, scoop the soft eggplant out of its peel, and put the eggplant into a food processor. You'll be able to easily scoop out all of the white, soft eggplant. You can discard the peel.
Add the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, smoked salt, and regular salt to the food processor. Pulse the food processor 4 or 5 times. Baba ganoush is best when it still has a bit of body to it, as opposed to being entirely creamy. So make sure everything is evenly combined, but don't blend to the point of being a puree.
The baba ganoush can be served right away, but it's best if the flavors have a chance to meld for at least a few hours. (It's even better if you can make it the day before you want to serve it.) Move it to a covered container and put it in the refrigerator until you're ready to serve it.
Serve the baba ganoush with pita bread and/or sliced vegetables for dipping. If you like, drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil onto the baba ganoush before serving.
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Notes
Baba ganoush will last up to four days in the refrigerator. Put it in an airtight container. Give it a stir before serving. To brighten the taste, add a fresh squeeze of lemon, sprinkle of salt, and/or drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.