Mtabbal Eggplant Dip Recipes

Steps:

• Grill the eggplant over a flame or under the broiler until the skin blisters.
• Remove the skin off the eggplant, chop the pulp coarsely, and squeeze out the liquid. Place pulp in a bowl.
• Stir in crushed garlic, yogurt and salt alternatively adding tahini and lemon until desired taste is achieved.
• Place eggplant dip in a shallow serving dish and drizzle with olive oil.
• Serve with Arabic bread.

Steps:

• Preheat a charcoal grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate. Prick the skin of the eggplants several times with a knife.
• Cook directly on the preheated grill, turning frequently, until eggplants have collapsed and are very soft and the skin has charred, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to cool, about 15 minutes.
• When eggplants are cool enough to handle, cut them in half and scrape out the flesh. Put the flesh into a colander and place over a bowl to drain, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Transfer to a mixing bowl, add crushed garlic and salt, and mash until creamy, about 5 minutes. Whisk in lemon juice, tahini, 3 tablespoons olive oil, and black pepper. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Taste, adjust seasonings, and stir in parsley and mint. Transfer to a small dish. Use the back of a spoon to swirl indentations on the surface, drizzle with remaining olive oil, and garnish with pomegranate seeds.

Steps:

• Cook the eggplants directly on the burner of a gas stove or in the oven. On a gas stove, sear the eggplants directly over a medium-high flame. Rotate every 5 minutes, until the globes are completely blackened, about 15 minutes total. Alternately, preheat the oven to 450°F. Place the eggplants on a sheet tray, poke them all over with the tines of a fork, rub them with the oil, and place the tray in the oven and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, until the eggplants collapse in on themselves and the skins are blackened.
• Place the cooked eggplants in a bowl and seal the bowl with plastic wrap to let the eggplants steam in their own juices.
• In a medium bowl, combine the tahini, lemon juice and zest, garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper.
• When the eggplants have cooled enough to touch, split them lengthwise. Using a spoon, scrape out the pulp, discarding the skins and stems. For a milder flavor, scrape the seeds off the strands of pulp.
• Use a fork to mash the pulp into the tahini-garlic mix, creating a chunky dip. Adjust the salt to taste.
• When ready to serve, scoop the eggplant mixture onto a serving plate. Use a spoon to create a well in the center and drizzle in the oil, then garnish with the molasses, pomegranate seeds, and parsley.