Moutabel - Eggplant dip

Mutabal or Moutabel is a smoky Middle Eastern dip made with eggplant/brinjal/aubergines. This is a wonderful way to use eggplant, a vegetable that not many people like. 

This dip comes along with almost all the Arabic platters. The charcoal chicken with moutabel dip is something i adore. The dip can be used along with simple pita bread or any crackers even.

The main ingredient of this dish is roasted eggplants and tahini. Tahini paste can be made at home by blending roasted sesame seeds with olive oil to get a fine smooth paste. This dip without adding yogurt is also delicious, but adding yoghurt will mellow down the bitterness of eggplant. 

Roasting Eggplant on gas stove top:-

Removed blacked skin

Moutabel - Eggplant dip

Preparation Time : 30 minutes

Cooking time : 5 minutes

Ingredients:-

Eggplant - 1 big
Tahini paste - 2 tbsp
Lemon Juice - 1 tbsp
Garlic - 4 cloves
Yogurt - 2 tbsp
Olive Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method:-
1. Wash the eggplant and pat dry.
2. Make a few incisions on the eggplant and roast directly on a gas stove or in an oven till the skin turns black and the flesh is softened and cooked through.
3. Remove the blackened skin of the eggplant.
4. Add the flesh and all remaining ingredients in a blender and just pulse few times until you get nice thick chunky paste. Don't make it too smooth.
5. Garnish with olive oil, coriander and pomegranate kernels.

Notes:-
1. To reduce the bitterness of eggplant, place a sieve on a bowl . Keep the chopped, roasted and peeled flesh of eggplant in the sieve.  Leave it for one or 2 hours or leave it in fridge overnight. This drains away any bitter juice from the eggplant. It is quite optional. 

2. The eggplant also can be grilled in oven as well. Place eggplant on the baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven 30-45 minutes at 180 degree Celsius, or until soft and seared.

3. The yogurt in this recipe can be made optional. The yogurt will reduce the bitterness of eggplant. But the dip tastes delicious without yogurt as well.