Mtabbal Badinjan or aubergine/eggplant Mutabbal is hands down my favourite Levantine mezze.

How you prepare your eggplants will make all the difference in this famous Levantine mezze/starter.

Before we get on with the recipe, what looks like Mutabbal for some is considered Baba ghanouj for others. The two have many ingredients in common.

So the confusion is on a worldwide scale. However, if you go to a Syrian restaurant, they will be clear on which is which (on a general note), while some other Middle Eastern countries will call this Baba ghanouj (- the yogurt)

Roasting the eggplants in a oven would not give you an authentic smokey taste. Your best bet is charcoal or over an open flame of a gas knob  and you just rotate every 4 minutes until it’s done.

Now the seasoning of the mashed eggplants is also a matter of personal preference. Some like more tahini, some like more lemon..You just have to adjust it to your own taste.

Ingredients
Serves 4
Prep: 5 min – Cooking: 20-30 min

• 1 medium-size eggplant/aubergine, roasted (char-grill or over a gas knob is the best option)
• 1 tbsp of tahini
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup of thick natural yogurt
• 2 tbsps of fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp of vinegar
• 1 raw garlic clove , grated (or less, depending on the garlic used)
• Salt to taste

For garnish

• Good extra virgin olive oil
• Paprika
• Parsley, chopped