A cousin of baba ganoush, this smoky aubergine dip, known as mutabal, is enriched with thick yoghurt and nutty tahini, said Salma Hage. It's creamy and indulgent, and is decoratively topped with olive oil, herbs and colourful spices.
Ingredients: serves 4-6
- 2 large aubergines
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1⁄2 tsp ground coriander
- 1⁄4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 4 tbsp tahini
- 4 tbsp Greek yoghurt
- juice of 1 lemon
- salt and black pepper
- extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- sprig of parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp toasted walnuts
- 1⁄2 tsp sumac
- pitta breads or vegetable crudités, to serve
Method
- Preheat the oven to 220°C. Place the aubergine in a roasting pan and roast for 30-40 mins, until soft and charred. Transfer to a chopping board to cool for 10 mins.
- Once cool enough to handle, peel away the skins (and discard along with stalks). Transfer the flesh to a colander to drain, pressing down with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible.
- Return them to a chopping board and finely chop. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
- In a separate bowl, combine the garlic, spices, tahini, yoghurt and lemon juice. Season well. Add the tahini mixture to the aubergines and mix well. Season to taste.
- Transfer to a serving platter. Using a teaspoon, make indents all over the surface. Drizzle the olive oil so that it pools in some of the indents, then sprinkle with parsley, walnuts and sumac.
Taken from The Levantine Vegetarian by Salma Hage (Phaidon £29.95). To buy from The Week Bookshop for £23.99 (incl. p&p), visit theweekbookshop.co.uk.
Sign up for The Week’s Food & Drink newsletter for recipes, reviews and recommendations.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Will the public buy Rachel Reeves’ tax rises?Today’s Big Question The Chancellor refused to rule out tax increases in her televised address, and is set to reverse pledges made in the election manifesto
-
Margaret Atwood’s ‘deliciously naughty’ memoirIn the Spotlight ‘Bean-spilling’ book by The Handmaid’s Tale author is ‘immensely readable’
-
Being a school crossing guard has become a deadly jobUnder the Radar At least 230 crossing guards have been hit by cars over the last decade
-
7 mountain hotels perfect for a tranquil autumn or winter escapeThe Week Recommends Get (altitude) high and unwind
-
The 5 best political thriller series of the 21st centuryThe Week Recommends Viewers can binge on most anything, including espionage and the formation of parliamentary coalitions
-
Salted caramel and chocolate tart recipeThe Week Recommends Delicious dessert can be made with any biscuits you fancy
-
The 8 best dark comedies of the 21st centuryThe Week Recommends From Santa Claus to suicide terrorism, these movies skewered big, taboo subjects
-
Everything you need to know about last-minute travelThe Week Recommends You can book an awesome trip with a moment’s notice
-
The 7 best police procedurals of all timeThe Week Recommends There’s more to cops and robbers than just nabbing the bad guy at the end of the show
-
8 of the best horror comedy films of all timeThe Week Recommends From parodies to ‘requels,’ these movies will make you laugh and scream at the same time
-
Roasted squash and apple soup recipeThe Week Recommends Autumnal soup is full of warming and hearty flavours
