Mutabbal (Eggplant Tahini Dip)

Mutabbal (sometimes spelled moutabal) has a special place in my heart, thanks to my experiences working alongside Lebanese and Syrian chefs in kitchens across the Middle East. I can still vividly recall the incredible aroma of the charred grilled eggplant skins infusing their sweet flesh with an irresistible smoky aroma. After peeling, the eggplant is blended with the nutty richness of tahini, brightened by fresh lemon juice and the pungency of garlic, resulting in a wonderfully creamy and deeply smoky Lebanese eggplant dip. Unlike baba ganoush, which tends to highlight olive oil, mutabbal celebrates the luxurious pairing of creamy eggplant and rich sesame seed tahini. My recipe distills these valuable lessons into a dish that brings the warmth and hospitality of the Levant right to your home kitchen.

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• Why This Recipe Works
• Ingredients
• How to Make Mutabbal
• Serve This With
• 📖 Recipe
• FAQ
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Why This Recipe Works

• Charred Eggplant Magic — Eggplants are like flavor sponges. Charring their skins not only turns their flesh sweet and silky but also infuses them with an irresistible smoky depth that pairs perfectly with the rich, nutty tahini. The Maillard Reaction also boosts their level of umami goodness.
• Strain the Eggplant — After roasting, straining the flesh helps concentrate its flavor. It also prevents your dip from becoming watery, ensuring every bite of your eggplant tahini dip is luxuriously creamy and full-flavored.
• Blend for Creaminess — Blending mutabbal in a food processor gives it an irresistibly smooth, luxurious texture, clearly setting it apart from the chunkier consistency of baba ganoush.

Ingredients

• Eggplant: Ideally, use long, slender Lebanese eggplants, which typically have fewer seeds compared to rounder varieties. Other small varieties of eggplant, such as Chinese or Japanese eggplants also make great substitutes.
• Tahini: Tahini (or tahina) is a creamy sesame paste made from hulled sesame seeds, which gives it a smooth texture and an intensely nutty flavor. Choose pure tahini paste without additives, and always stir it well before use since the oils tend to separate and float to the top.
• Garlic: Raw, pungent garlic is essential to the authentic flavor of this Lebanese eggplant dip. Fresh, uncured garlic works best, but if you only have cured garlic with papery skins, remove any green cores from the cloves before blending to avoid bitterness.
• Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed lemon juice brightens the dip, balancing out the rich flavors of the smoky eggplant and creamy tahini.
• Olive Oil: A drizzle of good-quality extra-virgin olive oil enhances the richness and gives mutabbal a silky texture. I prefer olive oil made from ripe olives, which has a fruity, creamy profile rather than the grassy, peppery bite of greener oils.

How to Make Mutabbal

Charring the Eggplants

• Pierce the eggplants a few times with a knife to keep them from exploding.
• Roast them over a grill or under an oven broiler, turning periodically until the skins are completely charred and blackened all around.
• Transfer the roasted eggplants to a strainer, allowing them to cool and drain off excess liquid.
• Once cool enough to handle, remove the tops and carefully peel off the charred skins.
• Tip: Thoroughly blackened skins ensure maximum smokiness. Under-charred eggplants result in a dip that lacks depth of flavor.

Preparing the Dip

• Add the peeled eggplant to a food processor along with the tahini, grated garlic, fresh lemon juice, salt, and olive oil.
• Blend until you achieve a smooth, creamy texture.
• Taste and adjust with additional salt or lemon juice if needed.

Finishing Touches

• Serve your mutabbal in a shallow bowl, using a spoon to create swirls on the surface.
• Serve drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil and generously topped with pine nuts and chopped fresh mint before serving.

Serve This With

Mutabbal is a versatile crowd-pleaser that shines as part of a vibrant Levantine mezze platter alongside other Middle Eastern dishes like creamy yogurt labneh, hearty loubieh bi zeit (Lebanese green beans braised in olive oil), or sweet pepper and walnut muhammara. Personally, I love pairing it with an herb-packed tabbouleh salad for a refreshing contrast or serving it with other sides like fragrant hashweh rice. Each dish perfectly complements mutabbal's creamy, smoky notes, creating an unforgettable Middle Eastern feast.

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