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4.93 from 14 votes

Mutabal Recipe (Middle Eastern Eggplant Dip)

Mutabal is a Middle Eastern eggplant dip with a nice smoky flavor. It's different from baba ganoush and can be served with fresh pita bread as an appetizer or on a mezze platter for a tasty feast!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: middle eastern
Servings: 4
Calories: 165kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 eggplants about 1 ½ pounds
  • ¼ cup tahini
  • ¼ cup yogurt
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 lemon juice of
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Instructions

  • Wash and dry the eggplants. Using a fork, pierce them a few times. Turn on the gas stove to medium high and place the eggplant directly on the range (you can have 2 ranges on at the same time to make the process quicker). Char the eggplant for about 5 minutes on each side, flipping every 5 minutes for all parts to cook evenly. This would take about 20 minutes, depending on the size of the eggplant and your heat.
  • Once the eggplants are fully cooked and tender, place them in a bowl and cover with a plastic wrap. Set the bowl aside for the eggplants to sweat, about 30 minutes, this would make the peeling process easier.
  • When the eggplants are cool enough to handle, peel then using wet hands, or simply keep them under running water while peeling.
  • Chop the eggplant finely and add it to a bowl with the tahini, yogurt, minced garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Mix all the ingredients using a fork or a spoon.
  • Top with olive oil and chopped parsley. Serve with pita, lavash or pita chips.

Video

Notes

  • I recommend using Italian eggplants that are smaller in size since they have fewer seeds and also cook faster. Chinese eggplants won't work for this recipe since they don't have much flesh. Globe eggplants won't work either since they are too large to char on the gas range. 
  • Instead of the gas range, you can use charcoal or gas grill. It's also possible to roast the eggplant in the oven, however, it won't have the same smoky flavor that the open flame would give. 
  • You can use whole milk (preferred), low-fat or non-fat yogurt for this recipe. For a dairy-free option use dairy-free yogurt but make sure it's plain and not flavored. 
  • You can make this dip up to 2 days ahead of time if needed. 
  • Store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 week.  Stir the dip right before serving to give it a fresher look. 
  • Serve mutabal as part of a mezze platter with hummus, muhammara, labneh, kibbeh, marinated feta and dolma alongside vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, cucumber and marinated vegetables like artichokes and olives. 

Nutrition

Calories: 165kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 599mg | Potassium: 660mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 84IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 1mg