Moutabal

Making Moutabal

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1. Prick each aubergine a few times with a knife and set them directly over a gas flame, on a barbecue, or under a very hot grill.

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2. Turn every few minutes for 15 to 20 minutes until the skins are completely blackened and the aubergines have collapsed and feel weightless.

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3. Put them in a bowl, cover, and leave 10 minutes — the steam loosens the skins.

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4. Peel off the charred skin, taking care not to lose the smoky flesh clinging to it. Do not rinse them, which would wash the smoke away.

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5. Put the flesh in a sieve over a bowl and leave 20 minutes to drain. Discard the liquid.

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6. Chop the drained flesh on a board with a knife rather than blitzing it — moutabal should have some texture.

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7. Beat in the tahini, lemon juice, garlic paste, yoghurt if using, and salt.

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8. Taste and adjust: it should be smoky first, then sharp, then nutty.

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9. Spread on a plate with the back of a spoon, pour olive oil into the hollows, and finish with pomegranate, sumac and parsley.

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Related guides: Prep, cook and total time · Ingredient substitutions.

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Tips for Making Moutabal

• Open flame or nothing. An oven gives you sweet purée, not moutabal.
• Drain the flesh for twenty minutes. It is what concentrates the flavour.
• Chop by hand. A processor makes it gluey.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the stand-in usually given when you are out of fresh garlic; it will not brown the same way, and it burns easily, so add it with the liquid.

Serving Suggestions

• Warm flatbread
• A meze spread
• An arak

Keeping and Reheating

Refrigerate up to 4 days under a film of olive oil. Do not freeze.

Moutabal FAQ: Common Questions

What's in a Serving

Per serving, an approximate calculation from the ingredient list. Treat it as a rough guide: an ingredient listed without an amount is not counted, so the figures run low; garnishes, greasing and other items with no amount are not counted. How the figures are worked out.

Vegan when made without the yoghurt. Gluten-free when served without the warm flatbread.

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