“This eggplant dish is referred to as m’tabbal and sometimes baba ganoush in the Middle East. The smoked version was inspired by a recipe in a book called Classic Palestinian Cuisine.” – Carmen M, Cambiati Community Member
Ingredients
- 3 medium/large eggplant
- 1/3 – 1/2 cup of tahini or more/less to taste
- 1/4 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice or more/less to taste
- 2-4 cloves of garlic (to taste)
- Salt to taste
- Jalape̱o (finely diced to taste Рthis is optional)
Preparation:
Prepare the eggplant one of three ways:
Option 1 – for a smokey flavor use large pan on cooktop over medium-high heat. You can spray pan with oil to minimize sticking. Place eggplants in the pan and cook on the first side until well charred. The skin will become firm from the charring process. Turn each eggplant about 25-30 degrees and char the next section. Do this until the eggplants are completely charred all around. The eggplant skin will be very crusty where it had contact with the pan.
Option 2 – fire up the grill and roast the eggplant to desired char level.
Option 3 – for a mild flavor, you can just place the eggplants (whole) on a cookie sheet, bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.
Let the eggplants cool, then scrape out the pulp on the inside into food processor bowl. Compost or discard the charred exterior. Use garlic press or finely mince garlic and add to food processor bowl. Add lemon juice, salt, tahini, and jalapeno (optional) to bowl. Pulse food processor to puree to your desired consistency.
This is traditionally served with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a sprinkle of cayenne pepper, and a bit of chopped parsley on top. I’ve been skipping the oil, to manage my Cambiati fat portions.
Variation: Hummus can be done the same way, just substitute 2-3 cans of garbanzo beans for the eggplant. (If using beans, they will count as your serving of high-fiber carbs.)
Portions:
All the ingredients are either non-starchy veggies or low glycemic load fruits, except for the tahini (sesame seed paste) and salt. The recipe includes 15-24 teaspoons of tahini, depending on how much you put in. Since 2 tsp of tahini is 1 serving of fat, this recipe includes 7.5 – 12 servings of fat. Divide finished amount accordingly and enjoy — it will be just shy of 1 cup. Remember to go easy on the salt! Enjoy with crudites, in lettuce cups, as a topping to salad or quinoa, or straight up!