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    Home » Starters

    Mutabal (Eggplant & Yogurt Dip)

    Published: May 25, 2023 · by Nico

    Jump to Recipe

    Mutabal is a delicious Levantine eggplant and yogurt dip similar to baba ganoush but with a richer and creamier texture.

    You can make it with smokey eggplants, and it's a wonderful recipe to enjoy as an appetizer part of a mezze platter with freshly baked pita bread.

    Mutabal with pine nuts and parsley
    On this page:
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Serving suggestions
    • More dip ideas
    • Tips
    • Questions
    • Storage
    • More eggplant recipes
    • Recipe

    Check out our Best Eggplant Recipes

    Mutabal - sometimes spelled moutabal - is a tasty middle eastern dip with a beautiful smoky flavor. The recipe is easy to make, with a few easy-to-find ingredients mixed in a blender until creamy.

    The secret to making the best mutabal is how you cook the eggplant. For the most incredible smoky flavor, you've got to char the eggplant skin until it turns black and falls off the eggplant.

    Don't worry; the burnt skin is taken off the eggplant before we blend it; it only adds that irresistible smokey flavor.

    This is how the original Levantine recipe for roasted eggplant dip is made, and I promise you'll never go back if you try it.

    The smokey taste combined with nutty tahini, tangy lemon, and milky yogurt is one of the best flavor combos ever.

    Let's see how to make it!

    Mutabal with spoon and hand

    Ingredients

    Mutabal ingredients

    Eggplant

    Use globe eggplants (also known as American eggplants) or Italian eggplants. They are the large ones with dark purple, almost black, skin.

    Tahini

    We recommend tahini made from 100% hulled sesame seeds, light in color, and with a fairly liquid consistency. We find the best tahini to be imported from Levantine countries.

    Avoid dark, gritty, and pasty tahini.

    Yogurt

    You can use plain yogurt, Greek yogurt, or unsweetened non-dairy yogurt.

    Lemon

    Freshly squeezed lemon juice.

    Garlic

    Stick to fresh garlic and avoid garlic powder in mutabal.

    Olive oil

    Good quality extra virgin olive oil would be best, but if you can't get that, then opt for regular olive oil.

    Parsley

    Try to find flat-leaf parsley, sometimes sold as Italian parsley. It's much more aromatic in flavor and delicate in texture than curly parsley, and it's what's used in Eastern Mediterranean and Levantine recipes.

    Salt and pepper

    Season with sea salt or kosher salt and black pepper.

    Pine nuts

    Pine nuts are optional, sprinkled on top, but they do taste really good with mutabal. Please give them a light toast on a small pan for a few minutes until they turn golden brown.

    You can also add pomegranate seeds and a pinch of your favorite spices to garnish on top - we recommend sumac or paprika.

    Mutabal with hand and red nails

    Instructions

    1. Cook the eggplant

    There are several ways of cooking the eggplant so that it gets tender inside and charred outside.

    Charring the skin of the eggplant is important because that's how you infuse mutabal with that delicious smokey flavor.

    Our favorite method is to cook one eggplant on a gas stove top so that it gets smoky and two eggplants in the air fryer or oven to speed things up.

    Gas stove top or barbecue

    Important: cooking on an open flame can be dangerous if you don't pay full attention. If you don't feel comfortable with this step, check out the oven-roasted method below. Your kitchen is going to get smokey, so open windows and ensure there's enough ventilation. Also, your stovetop will get messy as the juices from the eggplant will come out. But, Flavorwise, this method is unbeatable!

    Wash and dry the eggplant. Pierce it with a fork several times, then roast it directly on the gas stove, touching the flame, until the flesh is tender and the skin is charred and starts to fall off.

    Charred eggplant on fire

    Turn the eggplant often with tongues so that it cooks evenly on all sides.

    Charred eggplant on stove

    Let it cool down for a few minutes, then peel off the charred skin.

    You can give the eggplant a quick rinse to help you get the tiny bits off.

    Note: you can achieve the same result on an outdoor barbecue or charcoal grill if you have one.

    peeled eggplant on a plate

    Oven

    Wash and dry the eggplant. Cut it in half lengthwise, score the flesh with a knife, then put it cut side down on a baking sheet.

    Bake in a preheated oven at 400°F or 200°C for 30 minutes or until tender, then turn the broiler/top grill function on and broil/grill until the skin starts to char - about 15 minutes.

    roasted eggplants

    Scoop out the flesh of the eggplant and discard the skin.

    Note: this method may or may not give you the smokey flavor, depending on how charred the skin of your eggplants gets. For a truly authentic smokey flavor, we find it more effective to oven-roast two eggplants and combine them with one eggplant that we char on the gas stove top.

    scooping out the flesh of roasted eggplants

    Air fryer

    Wash and dry the eggplant, cut it in half lengthwise, and score its flesh with a knife.

    Cook in the air fryer, cut side down, at 400°F or 200°C for about 20 minutes or until tender.

    Note: this method won't give you a smokey flavor. Instead, you can add some liquid smoke or combine air fryer eggplants with one gas stove top eggplant.

    air fryer eggplant

    2. Blend the ingredients

    To a food processor, add the flesh of the roasted eggplants, chopped or pressed garlic, tahini, yogurt, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, salt, and black pepper.

    tahini, yogurt and eggplant in a blender

    Pulse a few times until creamy, then taste and adjust for salt and lemon juice.

    Don't over-blend mutabal; some texture is nice.

    Mutabal in a blender

    Transfer it to a bowl or serving platter, spread it with a spoon, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, the optionally garnish with toasted pine nuts, chopped parsley, a pinch of sumac or paprika, or pomegranate seeds.

    Note: you can toast the pine nuts in a small pan until they are golden brown.

    Mutabal with pine nuts and pita

    Serving suggestions

    As a starter or mezze with warm bread and vegetables:

    • Pita bread (flour, water, yeast, sugar, olive oil, etc.)
    • Naan bread (flour, instant dry yeast, parsley, olive oil, garlic, etc.)
    • Roasted bell pepper (bell pepper, balsamic vinegar, garlic, olive oil, etc.)
    • Shirazi salad (lime juice, tomato, parsley, bulgur, olive oil, scallions, etc.)
    • Tahini salad (chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce, etc.)
    • Tabbouleh (bulgur, tomato, cucumber, parsley, mint, etc.)
    tabouli on a mixed mezze platter

    As a side dish with a main:

    • Falafel (chickpeas, chickpea flour, parsley, cumin, garlic, etc.)
    • Lentil mujaddara (lentils, rice, caramelized onions, paprika, cinnamon, coriander, etc.)
    • Spinach stew (onion, spinach, rice, vegetable broth, yogurt, cumin, etc.)
    • Chickpea stew (chickpeas, sweet potato, canned tomatoes, parsley, cumin, garlic, etc.)
    • Fattoush (pita bread, radish, cucumber, tomato, romaine lettuce, olive oil, etc.)
    • mujaddara rice and lentils
      Mujaddara (Lentil, Rice, and Onions)
    • Fattoush with fresh herbs and fried pita
      Fattoush
    • Falafel opened on a plate
      Falafel
    • Chickpea Stew with naan bread
      Chickpea Stew

    More dip ideas

    • Eggplant dip (baba ghanoush) (eggplant, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, parsley, paprika, etc.)
    • Hummus (chickpeas, garlic, tahini, lemon juice, water, cumin, etc.)
    • White bean dip (white beans, tahini, lemon, garlic, olive oil, parsley, paprika, etc.)
    • Avocado spread (avocado, garlic, lemon, tahini, etc.)
    • Tzatziki (cucumber, lemon, mint, garlic, olive oil, etc.)
    • Chickpea Spinach Stew with pine nuts
      Spinach Stew
    • hummus
      Hummus
    • avocado spread
      Avocado Spread
    • white bean dip with spoon
      White Bean Dip

    Tips

    The smokey flavor is everything in mutabal. Unfortunately, you can only get a delicious smokey flavor if you char the eggplant on a gas stove top or a barbecue.

    If you can't or don't want to do that, the next best alternative is to use a few drops of liquid smoke that you can buy online.

    The way we do it in our family is we char one eggplant on the gas stove to get that smoky flavor and the two other eggplants in the air-fryer so that the recipe is easier and quicker to put together.

    One charred eggplant is enough to add plenty of smokiness.

    Questions

    What is the difference between mutabal and baba ganoush?

    Mutabal and baba ganoush are variations of the same dish, a roasted eggplant dip popular in Eastern Mediterranean and Levantine countries like Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria.

    They are both made with smokey charred eggplant, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and fresh herbs.

    The main difference is that Mutabal often - but not always - includes yogurt.

    Storage

    Make ahead: Mutabal is excellent because it keeps well for days.

    Refrigerator: store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Take it out of the refrigerator at least 15 minutes before serving, as its best consumed at room temperature.

    Freezer: you can freeze mutabal for up to 3 months. Thaw slowly in the refrigerator over several hours.

    More eggplant recipes

    • Roasted eggplant (eggplant, parsley, garlic, olive oil, etc.)
    • Sautéed eggplant (tomatoes, eggplant, garlic, basil, olive oil, etc.)
    • Eggplant curry (coconut milk, roasted eggplant, chickpeas, turmeric, curry, etc.)
    • Stuffed eggplant (cherry tomatoes, pine nuts, pesto, eggplant, olive oil, basil, etc.)
    • roasted eggplant
      Roasted Eggplant
    • Sauteed eggplant in a bowl with basil
      Sautéed Eggplant
    • Eggplant curry with rice
      Eggplant Curry
    • stuffed eggplants
      Stuffed Eggplant

    For many more starter ideas, check out our starters category page.

    Recipe

    Mutabal with parsley and lemon

    Mutabal (Eggplant & Yogurt Dip)

    Author: Nico
    Mutabal is a delicious Levantine eggplant and yogurt dip similar to baba ganoush but with a richer and creamier texture.
    You can make it with smokey eggplants, and it's a wonderful recipe to enjoy as an appetizer part of a mezze platter with freshly baked pita bread.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share Recipe
    5 from 2 votes
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 40 minutes mins
    Total Time 45 minutes mins
    Course Appetizer, Dip
    Cuisine Eastern Mediterranean, Levantine
    Servings 8 people
    Calories 149 kcal

    Equipment

    • Food processor

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 3 medium eggplants about 3 pounds or 1.3 kilograms
    • 1 clove garlic
    • 5 tablespoons tahini
    • 4 tablespoons lemon juice
    • 4 tablespoons Greek yogurt sub plain or unsweetened non-dairy yogurt
    • 1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil + more to drizzle
    • 1 teaspoons salt or more to taste
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    • 1 handful flat-leaf parsley chopped

    Optional garnish

    • 2 tablespoons pine nuts lightly toasted on a pan
    • 2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds
    • 1 pinch paprika
    Keep screen on

    Instructions
     

    1. COOK THE EGGPLANT

    • Option 1: Gas stove top or barbecue/grill (excellent smoky flavor)
      Wash and dry the eggplant. Pierce it with a fork several times, then roast it directly on the gas stove, touching the flame, until the flesh is tender and the skin is charred and starts to fall off.
      Charred eggplant on fire
    • Turn it often with tongues so that it cooks evenly on all sides.
      Charred eggplant on stove
    • Let it cool down for a few minutes, then peel off the charred skin.
      You can give the eggplant a quick rinse to help you get the tiny bits off.
      Note: you can achieve the same result on an outdoor barbecue or charcoal grill if you have one.
      peeled eggplant on a plate
    • Option 2: Oven (mild smoky flavor)
      Wash and dry the eggplants. Cut them in half lengthwise, score the flesh with a knife, then put them cut side down on a baking sheet.
      Bake in a preheated oven at 400°F or 200°C for 30 minutes or until tender, then turn the broiler/top grill function on and broil/grill until the skin starts to char - about 15 minutes.
      roasted eggplants
    • Scoop out the flesh of the eggplants and discard the skin.
      scooping out the flesh of roasted eggplants
    • Option 3: Air fryer (no smoky flavor)
      Wash and dry the eggplants, cut them in half lengthwise, and score its flesh with a knife.
      Cook in the air fryer, cut side down, at 400°F or 200°C for about 20 minutes or until tender.
      air fryer eggplant

    2. BLEND THE INGREDIENTS

    • To a food processor, add the roasted flesh of 3 medium eggplants, 1 clove garlic (pressed), 5 tablespoons tahini, 4 tablespoons lemon juice, 4 tablespoons Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoons salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
      tahini, yogurt and eggplant in a blender
    • Pulse a few times until creamy, then taste and adjust for salt and lemon juice.
      Don't over-blend mutabal; some texture is nice.
      Mutabal in a blender
    • Transfer it to a bowl, spread it with a spoon, garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, chopped parsley, toasted pine nuts, pomegranate seeds, and a pinch of paprika.
      Serve with warm pita bread.
      Mutabal with pine nuts and pita

    Video Recipe

    Mutabal (eggplant & yogurt dip)

    Notes

    Nutrition information is an estimate for 1 serving of mutabal out of 8 servings.
    IMPORTANT
    Cooking on an open flame can be dangerous if you don't pay full attention. Your kitchen is going to get smokey, so open windows and ensure there's enough ventilation. Also, your stovetop will get messy as the juices from the eggplant will come out.
    TIPS
    The smokey flavor is everything in mutabal. Unfortunately, you can only get a delicious smokey flavor if you char the eggplant on a gas stove top or a barbecue.
    If you can't or don't want to do that, the next best alternative is to use a few drops of liquid smoke that you can buy online.
    The way we do it in our family is we char one eggplant on the gas stove to get that smoky flavor and roast the two other eggplants in the air-fryer so that the recipe is easier and quicker to put together.
    One charred eggplant is enough to add plenty of smokiness.
    STORAGE
    Make ahead: Mutabal is excellent because it keeps well for days.
    Refrigerator: store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Take it out of the refrigerator at least 15 minutes before serving, as its best consumed at room temperature.
    Freezer: you can freeze mutabal for up to 3 months. Thaw slowly in the refrigerator over several hours.

    Nutritional Values

    Nutrition Facts
    Mutabal (Eggplant & Yogurt Dip)
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    149
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    10
    g
    15
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    1
    g
    6
    %
    Trans Fat
     
    0
    g
    Polyunsaturated Fat
     
    4
    g
    Monounsaturated Fat
     
    4
    g
    Cholesterol
     
    0.4
    mg
    0
    %
    Potassium
     
    491
    mg
    14
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    14
    g
    5
    %
    Dietary Fiber
     
    6
    g
    25
    %
    Sugar
     
    7
    g
    8
    %
    Protein
     
    5
    g
    10
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    96
    IU
    2
    %
    Vitamin B6
     
    0.2
    mg
    10
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    8
    mg
    10
    %
    Vitamin E
     
    1
    mg
    7
    %
    Vitamin K
     
    18
    µg
    17
    %
    Calcium
     
    40
    mg
    4
    %
    Folate
     
    52
    µg
    13
    %
    Iron
     
    1
    mg
    6
    %
    Manganese
     
    1
    mg
    50
    %
    Magnesium
     
    45
    mg
    11
    %
    Zinc
     
    1
    mg
    7
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Did you like this recipe?Leave us a comment below or find us on Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, TikTok, and Facebook.

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