Creamy & Smokey Mutabal with Tahini

This creamy and smokey mutabal is a classic middle eastern dip. With only 4 ingredients (and an optional fifth one!), it is quick to prepare and mostly hands-off as the eggplant roasts in the oven. Follow this easy method for homemade mutabal that’s much tastier than store-bought!

Mutabal vs. Baba Ghanoush

Most people in the west actually know this dip as “baba ghanoush”, which is incorrect in most parts of the Levant region, where the dip originates from. Due to its popularity, it travelled across the globe and picked up the wrong name.

Baba Ghanoush is actually a different dip that also starts with a base of smokey mashed eggplant, but it includes pomegranate molasses and fresh chopped veggies. It resembles more of a salad.

Mutabal, however, as it is known across Syria, Jordan, Palestine and Lebanon, is a creamy dip made with tahini, garlic, lemon juice, and sometimes yogurt.

It is often always part of a classic middle eastern mezze spread, alongside hummus, muhammara, and labneh. And of course, fresh pita bread for dipping! If you have any leftover roasted eggplant from this recipe, be sure to also try my delicious Moroccan Zaalouk.

How to Get Smokey Eggplant Without a Gas Stove

For mutabal, as well as baba ghanoush, the base of the dip is smokey mashed eggplant. Traditionally, this is done by charring an eggplant over an open flame. You can do this using tongs, holding the eggplant over the flame and slowly rotating until the outside is very charred and the inside is super soft.

However, many of us do not own a gas stove. I have an induction stove at home, so I always struggle with getting a char on the outside of my eggplant. There are a few ways you can achieve a char and smokiness if you do not own a gas stove.

Use a Cast-Iron Skillet:

My solution has always been to heat a cast iron skillet until its very hot, then place the eggplant inside and slowly roast them, rotating until the skin has a dark char on all sides. I then continue with roasting in the oven until they are soft. The oven is usually quicker to soften the eggplant than the cast iron skillet.

Use a Blow Torch:

You can also char the outside skin of the eggplant using a blow torch. Carefully ensure the eggplant is on a non-flammable surface (like a foil lined baking sheet) and apply the blow torch all over the eggplant until it starts to char. You will need a powerful flame to do this quickly. Then continue with roasting in the oven.

Is a smokey flavour essential to make mutabal? No, it’s not! It definitely enhances the flavour, but if you want to make your life simpler, just roast the eggplant. It is still very delicious without any smokiness.

How To Make This Recipe Step-by-Step

First, gather your ingredients. The star of the dish is eggplant. I typically use Globe eggplant or American eggplant, simply because it is widely available and is large; meaning you will have more flesh from just one eggplant.

However, Italian eggplant will work really well. I would not recommend using Chinese eggplant since it is narrow and won’t yield much flesh.

As for the rest of the ingredients, you’ll need tahini (you can make your own using my tahini recipe here), lemon juice, garlic, salt and yogurt.

With regards to the garlic, since we crush fresh garlic, always add just one small clove at first, then adjust if you need more. Fresh garlic is very pungent and a little goes a long way.

Yogurt is an optional ingredient, and you can omit it if you’d like to keep this mutabal completely vegan. However, I find it adds a lovely tartness and improves the texture of the dip, so I always add now.

Step 1: Char the eggplant. You can do this either on a gas stove, using tongs to slowly rotate the eggplant over an open flame until the skin is deeply charred.

If you don’t have a gas stove, use a cast iron skillet. If you are not partial to a smokey flavour, you can skip this step all-together.

Step 2: Roast the eggplant in the oven until very soft. If you’re doing this step without charring, make sure you make at least 3-4 holes or slits in each eggplant to help the steam escape.

Place them on a foil lined baking sheet and roast at 450F for at least 45 minutes and up to an hour. Depending on the eggplant, it may need more or less time to become extremely soft. Check the tenderness using a fork.

Step 3: Scoop out the eggplant flesh and drain any excess liquid. Do this by cutting each eggplant open and use a spoon to spoon out all the flesh, ensuring to scrape the skin well.

Place the eggplant over a sieve and press down to get rid of any excess liquids. Then, mash the eggplant. The best way to do this is to use a knife. You can either use a knife and fork and run the knife across all of the eggplant while it is in the bowl.

You can also place the flesh on a cutting board and use a knife to cut and mash it.

Step 4: Mix all of the ingredients together. Add the mashed eggplant to a bowl along with all the other ingredients.

I recommend mixing everything together and tasting it first, then adjust the lemon juice, salt, and garlic to your liking. Mutabal is a “taste and adjust” type of dip, since some love it more lemony, some more garlicky, etc.

Mix well using a fork, then serve and garnish with a generous drizzle of olive oil, toasted pine nuts, or pomegranate arils for colour. Enjoy with some fresh pita.

Storage and Serving Instructions

Mutabal is delicious the day after you make it. I often make it the night before for dinner parties to make my life easier. Store it in the fridge in an air tight container for up to a week.

I do not recommend freezing it, as it will become very soggy.

I always serve it with fresh pita bread or pita chips. It tastes much much better with bread than vegetables, trust me. But I suppose you can also serve it with crudités.

Mutabal also loves company as part of a mezze spread. Try making it alongside muhammara, hummus and labneh.

If you tried these recipes, please consider leaving a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page – I’d love to hear from you! You can also hop on over to Instagram and say hello!