Eggplant Dip (Mutabbal Batinjan)
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Ingredients
Yields 1 kg of dip, which is about 4 cups or 16 (1/4-cup-sized) servings
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 0 minutes
1 (28 oz/720 g) can Shahia Fire Roasted Eggplant
2 medium-large cloves garlic, crushed in a mortar and pestle with 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (125 ml) Lebanon Valley Tahini
4 tablespoons plain yogurt
Juice from 1 large lemon (about 3-4 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley or mint leaves, for garnish (optional)
Middle Eastern flatbread, for serving
Directions
Mutabbal means “dip” in Arabic, and this creamy eggplant dip with tahini and yogurt is commonly mistaken for another Middle Eastern eggplant-based dip called Baba Ghanouj. Baba Ghanouj doesn’t have tahini or yogurt, but instead has a variety of fresh veggies, like green bell pepper, tomato, green onion, and parsley; lemon, garlic, and sometimes and pomegranate molasses are also added to Baba Ghanouj.
1. Combine the eggplant, garlic, tahini, yogurt, and lemon juice in a food processor and process until smooth.
(Alternatively, this can be done using a large mortar and pestle.)
2. Spread the dip into a large, shallow dish; drizzle the olive oil on top and sprinkle on the parsley or mint, if using.
3. Serve with flatbread for dipping.
Recipe courtesy of Faith Gorsky, author of www.AnEdibleMosaic.com.