Mutabbal Vegan

🛒 Ingredients

• 2 medium sized purple eggplants (cut into rounds crosswise with a thickness of 1.5 cm)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (extra virgin olive oil)
• Salt and black pepper powder to taste (for seasoning the eggplant before baking)
• 3 tablespoons of this tea or white sesame paste
• One tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
• 1 small clove of garlic, grated very finely
• 3-4 tablespoons of ice/cold water (to teach the sauce until it is a dry white color)
• A pinch of fine salt
• 3 tablespoons of fresh, red, ripe pomegranate seeds
• A small handful of roughly chopped fresh mint or parsley leaves
• One teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil (for the final drizzle)

👩‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the eggplant: wash the purple eggplant thoroughly then cut it into rounds of equal thickness (about 1.5 cm). Arrange the eggplant slices on a paper towel, sprinkle with a little salt, and let them sit for 10 minutes to release the bitter water content. Wipe the eggplant dry using kitchen paper.

2. 2

   Bake the eggplant: -Arrange the eggplant slices on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Then brush both sides of the eggplant with olive oil evenly, and sprinkle with a little ground black pepper and salt.- bake in a preheated oven at 200%C for 20 to 25 minutes (turn the eggplant over at 10 minutes) Until the eggplant is cooked through and soft, golden brown and the edges are slightly caramelized. (You can also bake it on a non-stick flat pan over medium heat)

3. 3

   Make the creamy tahini sauce: while the eggplant is roasting, combine the tahini, lemon juice, grated garlic and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Stir using a spoon (the mixture will initially be lumpy and hard). Pour cold water spoon by spoon while continuing to stir quickly until the texture changes into a soft, dry sauce that is ivory white and can be poured.

4. 4

   Serving: Take a serving plate and arrange the warm grilled eggplant slices in a circle and overlap slightly on the plate.

5. 5

   Add the sauce and garnish: -drizzle the dry tahini sauce randomly and aesthetically over the roasted eggplant. -sprinkle fresh red pomegranate grains evenly on top. -sprinkle with chopped mint leaves or fresh green parsley- finish with a thin drizzle of extra virgin olive oil over the entire dish.

6. 6

   Serve: Serve this beautiful mutabbal immediately while it's warm as a delicious appetizer with toasted pita bread or as a side dish with other vegetables. Enjoy!