Mutabbal is a Middle Eastern silky, lemony, garlicky, smoky, eggplant dip… Made with tahini, this eggplant dip is often confused with Baba Ganoush. This is an authentic Mutabbal recipe that you will love!
What is Mutabbal?
This eggplant dip looks very similar to hummus. In fact, when I was little I was a very picky eater and I would never try things like Mutabbal or Baba Ganoush because I never liked eggplants. I never even knew the difference between hummus,
Turns out I was missing out and I’m so glad that now these simple dishes are often made in our house. If you want to find more great Middle Eastern mezze recipes, check out my Middle Eastern recipe collection.
What does Mutabbal taste like?
This smoked eggplant dip is garlicky, savory and the eggplant flavor stays obvious. The texture is silky, smooth and it’s very creamy. It is much lighter than hummus and tastes completely different when compared to Baba Ganoush.
How to roast eggplant?
- You can roast it by placing it directly over the stovetop and turning it side to side until it turns dark black and pulp is soft and tender
- Bake it in the oven by making holes in the eggplant using a fork, then wrap it with foil and bake for 45-50 minutes
- Slice your eggplant in half then place it on a baking tray and bake for 50 minutes
How to make Mutabbal?
- First, you need to roast the eggplant by placing it directly over the fire on your stovetop. Roast it for about 15 minutes by turning it from side to side until it’s black and the pulp is soft and tender.
- Once the eggplant is done, you need to peel off the skin, and then mash it using a fork or a potato masher.
- Make the Tahini sauce by mixing the tahini paste with cold water and lemon juice. Stir until you reach a creamy and smooth consistency.
- Add a splash of pomegranate molasses. This is optional but recommended!
- Add minced garlic, salt, and juice of a lemon, and the eggplant. Mix everything together with a spoon.
- Serve in a medium-sized bowl. Drizzle with a little bit of olive oil, and garnish with Summac and parsley or fresh mint leaves. Serve warm or cold with pita, naan or taboun bread.
More great eggplant recipes
- Middle Eastern stuffed eggplants
- Vegan eggplant sandwich
- Eggplant and chickpea curry
- Baba ganoush
- Fesenjan
- Mtabbal eggplant dip
- Eggplant cinnamon jam
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Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 1 lemon juiced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon sumac optional
Instructions
- First you need to roast the eggplant by placing it directly over the fire on your stove top. Roast it for about 15 minutes by turning it from side to side until it’s black and the pulp is soft and tender.
- Once the eggplant is done, you need to peel off the skin, and then mash it using a fork or a potato masher.
- Add minced garlic, salt, and juice of a lemon, mix. Then add the Tahini sauce (which is made by mixing the tahini paste with cold water and lemon juice – unless you have used all of the juice in the previous step)
- When serving, drizzle with a little bit of olive oil, and garnish with Summaq and parsley or crushed mint leaves. Serve warm or cold with pita or taboun bread.
Samk
Hi
When I make mutabbal it looks more like tuna mayonnaise.
I tried a recipe from Instagram, is there anything I can do to make it look whiter. I added 2 tbsp tahini, 2 lemons juiced, 4tbsp yoghurt, 1 clove garlic and 2 large aubergines. What am I doing wrong ?
Diana
I don’t like adding yogurt to Mutabbal, but the tahini is what makes it light in colour. Have you tried following my exact recipe? Maybe add more tahini (lemon juice and water is what makes it lighter). Mix the tahini with lemon and water separately until it becomes creamy and white, and then add it to the eggplant.
Yassena
Thank you for this recipe! I just made this but I found the juice of a whole lemon was too much. It made it tangy and over-powered the flavour of the eggplant. I’m not Middle Eastern so I don’t really know what it’s “supposed” to taste like. Everything else was perfect. I loved how easily it turned out. Next time I’ll put a little bit less lemon, maybe half.
Vijayan
It’s better to remove the eggplant seeds. Use only the pulp .
Diana
I never removed the seeds in my life and it’s a family recipe that we’ve been making for decades. I wonder if there are some varieties of eggplant where removing the seeds is a good idea.
Julia
I’m doing this right now. I bet it will be mouthwatering!
Tina @ The Spicy Pear
I love all the smoky flavours in mtabbal. It is so simple and yet bursting with so much flavour and texture.
Diana Sh
When you char the eggplant it does give an interesting flavour! Thanks for stopping by!! 🙂
Traci
Mmmm! I have a feeling I would love this, more than most eggplant things. You had me at “smoky.”