Roasting it on direct fire or grill yields a smoky eggplant dip. But it's not mandatory. You can bake the eggplants at high temperatures, as I did. Depending upon size of the eggplant, the cooking time might vary. You need to grill/roast or bake the eggplant until it's soft and tender. The eggplant skin should collapse so that you can peel and break the flesh.