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Home » Recipes » Appetizers and Snacks

Mutabal (Middle Eastern Eggplant Dip)

Published: Mar 1, 2025 | Updated: Apr 12, 2025 | Author: Neena Panicker

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Baba Ganoush Mediterranean eggplant dip.
Mediterranean appetizer Baba Ganoush
Bowl with mutabal or baba ganoush with parsley and olive oil on top.
Baba Ganoush Lebanese appetizer best eggplant dip mutabal recipe.

This creamy mutabal is an Arabic eggplant dip, also known as baba ganoush. Smoky roasted eggplant is blended with tahini, lemon juice, and olive oil to create a delicious addition to your mezze platter. This Lebanese recipe is delightful as a dip when served with warm pita or fresh vegetables.

Bowl with mutabal or baba ganoush with parsley and olive oil on top.

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Baba ganoush (mutabal or moutabal in some regions) is a rich and creamy Middle Eastern dip made from roasted eggplants (aubergines), tahini, garlic, and lemon juice. These ingredients give the dip a smoky, tangy flavor.

Eggplant provides fiber and nutrients, while tahini adds protein, making this a healthier alternative to cream-based dips!

If I’m making an Arabic meal for friends, I like to serve this versatile dip as part of a mezze platter. It’s also great as a nutritious everyday dip for vegetables, pita bread, or sandwiches. It can be stored in the refrigerator for several days.

➡ If you enjoy Lebanese and Arabic food, try some of my other recipes, such as hummus, muhammara, mujadara, batata harra, Turkish green beans, or chicken shawarma.

Ingredients and Tips

🧂 Ingredients You’ll Need for Middle Eastern Eggplant Dip

Mutabal Baba Ganoush ingredients - Eggplant dip ingredients - Olive oil, tahini, lemon, garlic, eggplant, cumin, salt, parsley.

💡 Ingredient and Recipe Tips for Baba Ganoush

🫒 Olive Oil: Use the best quality extra virgin olive oil.

🍋 Lemon Juice: Try using freshly squeezed lemon juice for this recipe. It makes a big difference. You can also add some lemon zest for extra flavor. You can use lime juice instead.

🍶 Tahini: Tahini is a sesame paste available at many grocery stores. Get a brand that doesn’t have any additives or fillers. I like to get it at my local Middle Eastern store. You can also order it on Amazon.

🥣 Cumin: I like to lightly toast whole cumin seeds and grind them in a spice grinder or using a mortar and pestle.

🍆 Eggplant: Use small, firm eggplants if you can find them. You can also purchase roasted eggplant in a jar at Arabic supermarkets. Drain it first before using.

🔥 Smoky Flavor: To add a smoky flavor, as you would get from eggplant grilled over an open fire, add a few drops of liquid smoke. A little goes a long way, so you don’t need a lot. About ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon will do. Add it when you’re mixing everything together.

♨️ How To Make This Arabic Eggplant Recipe

Mutabal Baba Ganoush instructions collage - eggplant pulp, all ingredients, blended, in bowl with garnish.
  1. Grill the aubergines in the oven or over an open flame. Remove the skin, scoop out the pulp, and drain for 10 minutes. Transfer the pulp to a food processor. For a choppy texture, you can also just use a fork.
  2. Add tahini, garlic, lemon juice, and salt.
  3. Process in 1-second pulses until the dip has a coarse or smooth texture, according to your preference. I like it smooth.
  4. Transfer to a shallow serving dish and spread it almost to the edge. With a spoon, make a trough in the center. Pour in some extra virgin olive oil. Garnish with paprika, olive oil, and/or chopped parsley.
Bowl with mutabal or baba ganoush with parsley and olive oil on top.

Mutabal / Baba Ganoush Eggplant Dip Recipe

This authentic homemade mutabal recipe is also known as baba ganoush. It has the rich flavors of traditional Lebanese and Arabic cuisine. This easy Middle Eastern eggplant dip combines creamy tahini, zesty lemon, and premium olive oil for a versatile Mediterranean dip or spread that's terrific as part of a mezze platter.
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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 73
Author: Paint the Kitchen Red
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Ingredients
  

  • 2 lbs eggplant 1 kg
  • ¼ cup tahini
  • ½ teaspoon garlic minced
  • 2 tablespoon lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • parsley for garnish
  • ⅛ teaspoon liquid smoke [See Note 2]

Instructions
 

Grill the Eggplant in the Oven

  • Line a baking sheet with foil and grease lightly.
  • Pierce the eggplant all over with a fork and place it on the greased foil.
  • Grill the 2 lbs eggplant under the broiler until the skin darkens and wrinkles on all sides, about 30 to 40 minutes, turning every 5 minutes.
  • The eggplant will be soft and begin to collapse when pressed with a spoon. Remove from heat.
  • When cool enough to handle, trim off the top and bottom of the eggplant and slit lengthwise.
  • Scoop out the hot pulp from the skins and place the pulp in a colander. Let it drain for 10 minutes. You should have about 2 cups of pulp. Transfer to a bowl and mash with a fork or potato masher.

Make the dip

  • Transfer the pulp to a food processor. Add the ¼ cup tahini, ½ teaspoon garlic, 2 tablespoon lemon juice, and ½ teaspoon salt.
  • Process in 1-second pulses until the dip has desired texture. [See Note 1].
  • Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Add the ⅛ teaspoon liquid smoke (or more), if using.
  • Transfer to a shallow serving dish and spread it almost to the edge if the dish. Make a trough in the center with a spoon. Pour in some extra virgin olive oil. Garnish with paprika, olive oil, and/or chopped parsley.

Notes

  • Use high-quality olive oil and tahini.
  • Note 1: Baba ganoush can be smooth or course with some texture. It’s up to individual taste.
  • Note 2: Authentic baba ganoush or mutabal is made with eggplant grilled over an open fire. When mixing the ingredients, add a few drops of liquid smoke (about ⅛ to ¼ tsp) to get the smoky flavor.

Nutrition

Serving: 4 tablespoon | Calories: 73 kcal | Carbohydrates: 6 g | Protein: 8 g | Fat: 5 g | Saturated Fat: 1 g | Sodium: 100 mg | Fiber: 2 g
Course Sides
Cuisine Middle Eastern
Main Ingredient vegetarian
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I am not a certified nutritionist.  I provide my best estimate of nutritional information merely as a courtesy to my readers.  If you depend on nutritional information for dietary or health reasons,  I suggest using your favorite online nutrition calculator to confirm the nutritional value of this recipe based on the actual ingredients that you use.

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Hi, I'm Neena Panicker, and welcome! I am the creator, photographer, and author of recipes and tips at Paint the Kitchen Red. I live in the glorious west in Salt Lake City, Utah with my family.

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