Mutabal

This delicious smoky middle eastern Mutabal dip made with charred eggplant is a recipe for all to try and love! It is incredibly easy and quick to make. Served as an appetizer or a spread over your grilled meat or chicken.

Looking for a way to use eggplant? Make Mutabal- a creamy smoked eggplant dip. The basic process is really simple. You broil the eggplant on direct flame for a smoky flavor and then blended it with olive oil and spices.

This homemade dish is vegetarian and gluten-free.

If you love this Mutabal recipe, you will love this keto eggplant casserole with ground beef.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Tips
• Substitutions and variations to this recipe
• Equipment
• Storage and reheat
• How to serve it
• FAQ
• Pairing
• Recipe

Ingredients

• Eggplant. I used globe eggplant. Pick the medium-sized one which has small seeds and is not bitter. When picking an eggplant in the store, look for one with glossy, dark, and firm skin and not a spotty one.
• Tahini. A sesame seeds paste. Adds delicious nutty flavor to the dish. I used chunky tahini.
• Yogurt. I use plain whole-milk yogurt. Add creaminess and richness.
• Garlic. I used fresh minced garlic. Adds a lot of flavor to the dip.
• Lemon juice. Fresh is the best. It brightens the dip.
• Oil. Quality extra virgin olive oil is recommended.
• Cumin. Add earthy warm flavor.
• Seasonings. Salt and pepper to taste.
• For garnish: I used olive oil, paprika, and parsley.

Instructions

1. Prepare the oven. Move the oven rack close to the broil. Then, turn on your oven broil to high.

2. Prepare the eggplant. Wash the eggplant and dry it. Then take a knife and poke it all over.

3. Broil the eggplant. Place the eggplant on an oven-safe dish (I used a cast iron skillet) and let it grill until the skin turns black and the flesh softens. During the broiling process turn the eggplant around mid-way through cooking. It takes about 10-15 minutes depending on the size of the eggplant. To be sure it is ready, you can simply poke it with a knife. If the knife goes through easily, then it is cooked.

4. Remove the eggplant flesh. Once the eggplant is fully charred and cooked, The best way to remove the flash of a charred eggplant is to cut it lengthwise in the middle and remove the flesh with a spoon. Make sure to let the eggplant cool beforehand.

5. Mix the ingredients. Then, add the eggplant flesh and the rest of the ingredients into a food processor and blend it to a desired consistency, either smooth or coarse.

6. Serve it. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking then plate it. Served it chilled or at room temperature.

Tips

• Make it ahead. You can charred the eggplant beforehand and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days, when ever ready to serve it, add the rest of the ingredients and toppings. so this is a great make-ahead party appetizer.
• Make a double batch. Since charring the eggplant is the most time-consuming part of making Mutabal, I usually charred a couple of eggplants and save some for another day and make fresh Mutabal every time.
• Use high heat. High heat sears eggplant skin fast so that the juices stay in which helps in softening and cooking the eggplant flesh fast.
• Taste-test it. Always taste it and adjust the seasonings to your liking.

Substitutions and variations to this recipe

• Roast the eggplant in an oven instead. Simply remove the eggplant skin and dice it. Drizzle some olive oil and salt and pepper over it and let it roast at 400 °F for about 15 minutes or until soft.
• Grill it on charcoal. Grill until the eggplant skin turns black and the flesh softens. During the process turn the eggplant around mid-way for even cooking.
• Make it vegan. Use vegan nut yogurts like cashew, coconut, or almond yogurt. Use plain ones and not flavored ones. Or you could simply omit the yogurt for this recipe.
• Make it keto. Use Greek yogurt.
• Other toppings ideas:
  • Spices: Sumac, Zaatar.
  • Herbs: Chives, mint.
  • Nuts: pine nuts, hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts.
  • Fruits: Pomegranate arils.

Equipment

I used this 10-inch cast-iron skillet (affiliate link) to broil the eggplant. 

Storage and reheat

Store it in an air-tight container for up to 3 days in the fridge. When ready to serve it, give a stir and freshen it up with toppings.

I do not recommend freezing Mutabal because of the texture and flavor change and it gets bitter.

How to serve it

• Serve as a dip, appetizer, or snack with:
  • Flatbreads such as naan, tortillas, or pita.
  • Vegetables stick such as carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, and pepper.
  • Chips and crackers
• Spread it over grilled meat or chicken.

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I hope you give this recipe a try! You are going to love it. Let me know how you did it! I love to hear from you!

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FAQ

Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with this dish: