Mutabal Recipe; You Must Try this Roasted Eggplant Dip!

Mutabal, like hummus, is a delicious Middle Eastern dip or appetizer. Mutabal of Lebanon is especially famous among the countries of the Middle East. This dish is prepared with eggplant, flour, and olive oil and is usually served with toasted bread. Since the main ingredient of this dish is eggplant, the type of eggplant greatly affects its taste. Another main ingredient is tahini. Tahini is a paste made from sesame; you can get it from different stores or prepare it at home using the Tahini Recipe. Stay with Cooking County to Make this delicious dish.

Mutabal Baba Ghanouj History

The famous middle eastern dip, Mutabal Baba Ganoush, has a long and exciting history. In Arabic, ‘ Mutabal’ translates to “beaten” or mashed. The dish is made from roasted eggplant mashed up and blended with tahini (sesame seed paste), olive oil, and various seasonings. It is thought to have originated in Egypt more than two thousand years ago and was originally served as an appetizer or as part of a mezze platter at important occasions like weddings or festivals.

In the Mediterranean region, Mutabal Baba Ganoush can be found on most menus today. It has been modified slightly over the years with some additions such as garlic, lemon juice, onion, parsley, and other spices added for flavor.

How does Mutabal Taste?

The combination of smoky eggplant, tahini (sesame paste), garlic, and lemon juice creates an earthy flavor with hints of sweetness from the eggplant and sourness from the lemon juice.

The texture of Mutabal salad is smooth and creamy. The eggplant provides a distinct smoky flavor that blends perfectly with the nuttiness of tahini and the sharpness of garlic. A good balance between all flavors makes this dish incredibly enjoyable to eat!

How to Make Mutabal Recipe?

Ingredients of eggplant mutabal

5 eggplants (1 kg)
¼ cup lemon juice
2 garlic cloves
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon cumin powder
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions of Mutabal Dip

Step One

Turn on and heat the oven to 260 degrees. Prepare the middle floor of the oven. Line a large baking tray with oil paper, and grease it.

Step Two

Wash the eggplants and poke holes all over them with a fork (the distance between the holes is about 3 cm). This prevents the eggplant from bursting in the oven. Now put them on the oven tray, and transfer the tray to the oven.

Step Three

Roll the eggplants with a fork every 15 minutes. After 45-60 minutes, when the Mutabal eggplants are well roasted and soft and their skin is completely wrinkled, take them out of the oven, and let them cool.

Step Four

When the eggplants have cooled enough, remove their caps, and make a longitudinal cut in the middle of each.

Step Five

With the help of a spoon, scrape the soft part of the eggplants from inside their skin, and transfer them to a metal colander with small holes.

Step Six

If part of the skin enters the colander, remove it carefully. Now press the eggplants with the back of a spoon to remove excess water.

Note: Make sure to press the eggplants because lots of water comes from them.

Step Seven

Transfer the drained eggplant to the food processor. Add lemon juice, chopped garlic, flour, salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, and olive oil. Mix the ingredients with the food processor.

Step Eight

About 5 to 10 pulses of 1 second are enough to create a paste with small pieces of eggplant. Taste it, and adjust the salt, pepper, and lemon juice as needed.

Step Nine

Pour the prepared Mutabal into a bowl, and cover it with cellophane. Place the bowl in the refrigerator until serving.

Step Ten

Place the dip outside the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes before serving. Make a screw-like groove in the middle of Moutabal baba ganoush dip with a spoon and pour some olive oil, chopped parsley, and smoked paprika.

How to Serve Hummus Mutabal?

Your Mutabal is ready! Serve the dip with toasted pita bread or dry bread. Enjoy your meal.

Do not forget to make this recipe and share it with us. If you have any questions about this recipe, please do not hesitate to ask.

Key Points about Making Mutabal

It is better to choose medium-sized eggplants with fewer eggs are less bitter than large ones.
The weight of a good eggplant is heavy compared to its size, it has a green cap, and its skin is black, shiny, and uniform.
The fresher the eggplant, the better it is. The more it is left, the more bitter it becomes.
Before consumption, stir the tahini well so that its oil is well mixed with its solids.
Be sure to chop or grate the garlic beforehand. Because you don’t pulse more in the food processor, the garlic may not mix well with the ingredients.
You can store Mutabal baba ganoush in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Take the Mutabal out of the fridge just a quarter of an hour before serving.
You can roast eggplant instead of baking it in the oven.
When buying tahini, make sure that it is not sweetened.
You can increase or decrease the amount of garlic as desired.

If you are interested in different eggplant dips, we recommend you see the Kashke Bademjan Recipe article, which is an Iranian eggplant dip.

FAQs about Mutabal Recipe

How much does it take to prepare Mutabal at home?

Assuming you are making Mutabal from scratch, it will take approximately 3 hours to make this dish.

What are the ingredients of Mutabal?

Delicious Mutabal has ingredients like smoked eggplants, tahini, flour, lemon juice, and spices like cumin and paprika. Combining these ingredients creates a smoky, spicy, and slightly sweet flavor that can be enjoyed as an appetizer or side dish with warm pita bread.