Mutabbal
A Syrian smoky roasted aubergine dip — متبل — blended with yogurt and tahini in a 3:1:1 ratio, sharpened with lemon and garlic, and finished with a pool of olive oil.
Method
Mutabbal is often mistaken for baba ganoush, but the yogurt and tahini together give it a richer, creamier character. The char on the aubergine skin is where the smokiness comes from — don’t skip it.
Roast the aubergines directly over a gas flame or under a hot grill, turning occasionally, until the skin is completely charred and the flesh feels very soft inside — about 25–35 minutes. Alternatively, use jarred roasted aubergine and skip to step 3.
Transfer the roasted aubergines to a colander and leave to cool. Once cool enough to handle, peel off the charred skin, split the flesh, and leave it to drain for at least 10 minutes to release excess liquid.
Add all the ingredients — drained aubergine, yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, minced garlic, dried mint, salt, and olive oil — to a mixing bowl. Stir and mash together until you have a textured dip. Adjust each ingredient to your taste.
Transfer to a serving plate, smooth the surface, and create a shallow well. Drizzle generously with olive oil and add any optional toppings: walnuts, black olives, fresh mint leaves, or pomegranate seeds.
Notes
The base ratio is 3 parts roasted aubergine flesh to 1 part yogurt to 1 part tahini — scale up or down from there. Draining the aubergine well is the most important step; excess liquid will make the dip watery. Using jarred roasted aubergine works perfectly and cuts the time to under 10 minutes. Quantities for lemon, garlic, mint, salt, and olive oil are all starting estimates — adjust to taste.
