How To Make Moutabal

Moutabal is a creamy, smokey and pleasingly textured Middle Eastern eggplant dip. Healthy, budget-friendly and delicious, it is a must add to your “dips” repertoire, if you have one.

When served with crudités, pita chips or crackers, Moutabal is a fantastic everyday snack and a fabulous mezze platter item.

What’s the difference between Moutabal and Baba Ghanoush?

Aren’t Moutabal and Babaghanoush interchangeable names for what is essentially the same dip? No.

While the star of the show in both dips is charred eggplant, the recipe for Moutabal calls for the addition of tahini as a key ingredient, that gives the dip it’s characteristic taupe creaminess.

Many recipes for Moutabal also call for the addition of a bit of yoghurt which balances out the slight bitterness that sometimes charred eggplant and tahini can have.

Babaghanoush, on the other hand, has no tahini and a couple of additional ingredients such as tomatoes, onions and capsicum/bell pepper. It is another delectable dip that’s a great addition to a mezze spread.

Here’s an easy recipe for Moutabal that you can whip up in no time. As long as you have the ingredients on hand, it doesn’t take long to make. No special equipment required either.

Tips For Making Delish Moutabal:

-charring the eggplant directly on fire with a pair of steel tongs gives the best smokey flavour.

-alternatively, the eggplant can be roasted in the oven under the grill/broiler.

-when the skin of the eggplant blackens, chars in places and the size of the fruit (yes, eggplants are technically fruits and not vegetables) reduces, it is ready.

-a butter knife works well here, allowing you to scrape off the charred eggplant skin without slicing off any flesh underneath.

-peeling the burnt eggplant skin may be a bit of a pain, but kindly do not give in to the temptation of giving the eggplant a rinse under running water or worse, submerging it in a bowl of water  to loosen every bit of skin *shudder*

-if your eggplant has been roasted to perfection, a fork is all you need to shred the eggplant flesh and mash it into a semi chunky purée along with the other ingredients.

-if using a food processor, pulse the ingredients in quick, short bursts so that the texture remains slightly chunky and you don’t purée everything into a gray coloured paste.

 

MOUTABAL

 

Recipe Type: Starter/Appetiser/Snack

Author: Alice In Eatland

Serves: 2

 

Moutabal, a mezze superstar! A creamy, smokey and pleasingly textured Middle Eastern eggplant dip that’s healthy, budget-friendly and absolutely delish!

 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large or 2 medium eggplants
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 2 cloves garlic, grated
• 1-2 tablespoons dairy or plant-based yoghurt (optional)
• Lemon juice
• Salt
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Pomegranate seeds, fresh red chillies or pickled radishes (to garnish)
• Fresh parsley (to garnish)
• Black sesame seeds or nigella seeds (to garnish)
• Crudités, pita chips, crackers (to serve)

 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place the eggplant(s) directly on the burner on a gas stove on medium high heat.
2. Roast, turning and rotating the eggplant frequently with metal tongs, until it shrinks slightly and the skin blackens and chars with no purple areas remaining.
3. Remove to a heatproof bowl or plate, cool and peel off the skin.
4. Remove the stem and place peeled eggplant flesh in a colander or sieve with a bowl underneath for 10-15 minutes.
5. Whip (either in a food processor, blender or using a hand whisk) the tahini with grated garlic, lemon juice, salt & yoghurt (if using) till pale and creamy.
6. Add drained eggplant to a mixing bowl along with the with the tahini mixture and mash until a semi-smooth yet textured consistency is reached.
7. Check seasoning and adjust if needed.
8. Serve swirled with extra virgin olive oil and garnish as you wish.