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Eggplant Mutabal (Smoked Eggplant Dip) has charred smokey eggplant, tangy labneh (strained yogurt), garlic, nutty tahini, lemon juice, and olive oil. I love it as part of a mezze spread or slathered on grilled meat. I’ve also been serving Eggplant Mutabal to the baby since she was 6 months old. Read on for tips on how to modify for the whole family to enjoy!
Eggplant
Arabs know the best ways to prepare eggplant: either fried or charred on the grilled (or under the broiler). Eggplant needs time under really high heat to make its flesh silky and soft. Eggplant is best in late summer, when its seeds are small, and it tastes deliciously sweet.
Homs, my parents hometown, is known for its eggplant varieties. They’re large, round, and almost black in color. The eggplants in the US seemed to almost never make it up to my dad’s standards. I remember many family dinners where he complained about the large, bitter seeds. Thankfully, in recent years, we’ve been able to source tasty eggplants at local farmers markets in the warmer months.
If you don’t have access to in-season eggplants, you can buy a jar of roasted eggplant at your local Arabic store, which takes care of half of the work.
Mutabal vs Baba Ghanoush
Mutabal comes from the root Arabic word “tabala,” which means to “add aroma and spice.” Mutabal is a combination of veggies (either beets or eggplant) with other aromatics and spices. The common ingredients are tahini, yogurt or labneh, lemon juice, and garlic.
Baba ghanoush, on the other hand, is a smoked eggplant dip mixed with garlic, lemon juice, chopped veggies (like tomatoes and bell peppers), walnuts, and pomegranate molasses.
Both are delicious, and you may see mutabal called baba ghanoush from time to time, but it’s important to know the distinction, at least for the sake of this recipe.
Ingredients
Eggplant — You want the large varieties of eggplant, but you don’t want them to be huge, since that means they’ll be more mature and likely more bitter. Their skin should be smooth and firm. If you want to use jarred smoked eggplant, that definitely works too.
Labneh — You can buy labneh at your local Arabic store. I’m now in the habit of making my own baby-friendly low sodium version. I mix 2 kg/4 lb tub of plain, full fat yogurt with about 1 tsp of kosher salt. I line a colander with a few layers of paper towel, set it on top of a bowl, and dump the contents inside. I allow it to strain overnight, and then I store it in the fridge for about a week.
In the US, we use a Bulgarian full fat yogurt, which makes such a creamy, tangy, and delicious labneh. In the UAE, I use Almarai. My favorite store-bought brand is by Baladé Farms.
Tahini — Tahini, or sesame butter, adds a wonderful nutty note to the dip. Sesame is also a common allergen, which is important for allergy prevention in babies. Any Arabic brand at the supermarket works great.
Like any natural nut butter, separation is normal. You’ll want to give it a good stir once you open the package. You can store it either in the pantry or in the fridge, just allow it to come to room temperature before using.
Garlic — Garlic is so flavorful in this recipe. It’s a common misconception that babies can’t “handle” garlic. Babies can love garlic just as much as we do. Since it’s a prebioitic (along with onions), it’s super healthy, but advisable to introduce slowly. When I’m making this for the baby, instead of using raw garlic, I sauté a clove in olive oil over low heat for a couple of minutes and then use the oil.
It should be noted that there are some risks of garlic with botulism, primarily when using garlic stored in oil (more about that here). So when using the sautéed garlic oil, use it within 2-3 days.
Lemon Juice — You should only be using fresh lemon juice. Believe me, it makes such a big difference! It’s absolutely necessary to brighten and balance out the flavors in Eggplant Mutabal.
Olive Oil — A drizzle of fruity olive oil on top is not only delicious, but it also makes the dip look more decadent.
Salt — Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt is my absolute favorite for its low saltiness profile, and the super fine granules dissolve quickly.
Method
You can smoke the eggplants either on the stove top, under the broiler in the oven, or on a charcoal grill. On the stove, you can put them directly on the burner, turning a few times. I find the broiler method a bit cleaner, since you don’t have to deal with eggplant juice and charred black bits of skin.
Line a sheet pan with foil and pierce the eggplants all over. Put them about 6 inches from the broiler, turning every 15 minutes until they’re charred on all sides, which will take about 30-45 minutes.
During outdoor season, when my husband is finished grilling, we put a few eggplants on the grates for hours and let the coals die down naturally.
You’ll then remove the soft flesh from the skin and place it in a colander to allow to drain of excess moisture, chop, and then combine it with the rest of the ingredients!
Substitutions
Make this vegan by using my Vegan Cashew Labneh. You can also use Greek yogurt if you don’t have labneh available.
If you’re serving babies, use the garlic oil as directed above and omit the salt.
If you can’t find suitable eggplants, use jarred smoked eggplant.
Serve It With
I love this dip with homemade or store bought pita chips as part of an appetizer spread. It can also be served for lunch next to a gorgeous tabbouleh. Or, have it with kibbeh bil sanieh or grilled meat at dinner.
I hope you give this recipe a try! If you do, don’t forget to put it in the comments so everyone knows how it worked out. I also love to see your creations! You can tag me on social media at #omayahcooks, @omayah.atassi on Instagram, @omayah on Pinterest, and @omayahatassiphoto on Facebook.
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Other mezze recipes:
Beet Mutabal (Roasted Beet Dip)
4 Tips For The Smoothest Hummus + Recipe
Tabbouleh
Eggplant Mutabal (Smoked Eggplant Dip)
Ingredients
- 2 kg/4 lbs eggplants or 23 oz roasted eggplant jar
- 6 tbsp labneh or Greek yogurt
- 1/4 c tahini
- 6 tbsp lemon juice, plus more to taste
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
- Drizzle of olive oil
- Sumac
- Cayenne
- Pine Nuts
- Parsley
- Scallions
Instructions
- If using fresh eggplants, smoke them either on the stove, under the broiler, or on a charcoal grill.
- If using the stove, place them directly on the burner and turn frequently until charred on all sides.
- If using a broiler, pierce the eggplants all over and place them on a foil-lined baking sheet and place under the broiler. Turn every 15 minutes until charred on all sides, about 30-45 minutes.
- If using a charcoal grill, after your grilling session, place the eggplants on the grates and let the coals die down naturally. You can forget about them for hours.
- Remove the flesh from the skin and place in a colander set over a bowl to drain of excess moisture, for an hour or 2.
- Chop or purée the flesh. Combine with the rest of the ingredients and adjust seasoning.
- Plate the mutabal in a medium-sized shallow bowl or plate. Create a swirl pattern with the back of a spoon, turning the plate around, and gradually going towards the center. Drizzle olive oil and add selected toppings, following the swirl pattern.
Notes:
*If making for babies, omit the salt and raw garlic. Sauté 1 whole garlic clove in 2 tbsp olive oil set over low heat until the garlic is golden. Mix into the mutabal. Top a thin rice cracker, sprouted grain toast, or serve on its own. Use within 2-3 days.