Sabich

Method

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1. Lay the aubergine slices on a rack, salt both sides, and leave 30 minutes. Beads of water will appear.

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2. Pat them completely dry with kitchen paper.

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3. Boil the eggs for 9 minutes for a just-set yolk, cool in iced water and peel. For the traditional slow-cooked version, simmer them for 2 hours in water with onion skins and a spoonful of tea until the whites turn beige.

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4. Heat 1 cm of oil in a frying pan and fry the aubergine in batches, 3 minutes a side, until deep golden and completely soft. Drain on a rack.

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5. Toss the salad ingredients together with the lemon juice and olive oil, and season.

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6. Warm the pittas and cut them open along one edge, opening them into a wide pocket.

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7. Spread hummus generously inside first, right up the sides.

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8. Add the fried aubergine, then slices of egg, then the salad, then the pickles.

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9. Pour tahini sauce and amba over the filling, add zhoug if you like heat, and eat immediately over a plate.

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Chef’s Tips

• Salt and dry the aubergine. Wet slices absorb twice the oil.
• Hummus against the bread. It stops the pitta going through.
• Amba is what makes it sabich rather than a vegetable pitta.

Pairing Suggestions

• Pickled cucumbers and zhoug
• A cold beer
• Mint lemonade

Storage & Reheating

Fry the aubergine up to 2 days ahead and keep refrigerated. Assemble to order.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.