Moutabbal and Lavosh Crisp bread

Moutabbal is the new hummus. Or I hope it is anyway, because hummus has become just a little bit boring. Sure, it is delicious but it is literally being thrown at you in every single restaurant or supermarket in London. Moutabbal is fun. It is different. It is exotic. Smoky aubergine and tahini are brought to life with a hint of garlic, lemon juice and the sour sweetness of pomegranate molasses. Hummus may be like vanilla ice cream, but moutabbal is Italian pistachio gelato.

Moutabbal is often called baba ganoush or vice versa. Which is rather confusing, especially as there are a million different versions and you can never be entirely sure what you get when you order. Aside from a base of aubergine, the remaining ingredients can range from tomatoes and mint through to spring onions and yoghurt. Some claim that baba ganoush traditionally omits tahini and is slightly chunkier, with the name originated from Egypt. I’ve only ever known it as moutabbal and with tahini in Lebanon.

For me, moutabbal only requires six ingredients: aubergines, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil and pomegranate molasses. Of course you can start throwing fancy spices and ingredients at it such as cumin, mint and whatever else Ottolenghi may suggest. But for me six ingredients is all it needs. If they are good enough for my grandmother, the best cook I know, then they are certainly good enough for me.

The key to this dish is in the smokiness of the aubergine, which has to be cooked until it turns into a black, collapsed mess. For smoky perfection a barbecue is vital. Given London weather I usually roast it on an open flame on my gas hob instead, which produces the next best result. Worst case you can whack it under your grill however you won’t quite be able to get the same flavour. Vitally important is also that after you remove the flesh from the skins, you allow it to drain for at least 20 minutes. A substantial amount of brown water will drain off, water that would make your moutabbal both watery and unpleasantly bitter.

To serve with your moutabbal, the below recipe for lavosh crisp bread is an absolute winner. It is simple, but the addition of sesame seeds and za’atar brings an amazing flavour. It keeps for a few weeks in an airtight container too, meaning you can work your way through a variety of dips (such as my muhammara recipe here) The recipe is from my time at Leith’s where they used it as a canapé base. Stamp these out into small circles, top with moutabbal, scatter with pomegranate seeds and serve as a vegetarian canapé – impressive. The amount makes about 30 canapés. However, you could equally roll into strips, bake and then break it into pieces to dip into the moutabbal.

Do

• cook the aubergine for longer than you think. It needs to be completely soft everywhere.
• be experimental with the lavosh crispread. Add spices, herbs and seeds however you fancy
• do use good quality ingredients for the moutabbal. There is nothing to hide in this dish!

Don’t

• overcook your crisp bread. They burn very easily so keep a close eye!

Print Recipe

Moutabbal and Lavosh Crispbread

Course

Snack

Cuisine

Middle Eastern

Servings

people

Ingredients

Moutabbal

• 2 aubergines large
• 100 ml tahini
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
• extra virgin olive oil to finish
• pomegranate seeds (optional)

Lavosh Crispbread

• 125 g plain flour plus extra for dusting
• 60 g wholemeal flour
• 1 tbsp za'atar
• 1 tbsp black sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp white sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 60 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 110 ml water
• 1 tsp flaky sea salt
• extra seeds and sea salt to finish

Course Snack Cuisine Middle Eastern Servings people Ingredients Moutabbal 2 aubergines large 100 ml tahini 2 cloves garlic minced juice of 1/2 lemon 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses extra virgin olive oil to finish pomegranate seeds (optional) Lavosh Crispbread 125 g plain flour plus extra for dusting 60 g wholemeal flour 1 tbsp za'atar 1 tbsp black sesame seeds 1 tbsp white sesame seeds 1 tbsp dried oregano 60 ml extra virgin olive oil 110 ml water 1 tsp flaky sea salt extra seeds and sea salt to finish

Instructions

Moutabbal

1. Barbecue or char the aubergines on top of your gas hob until black all over and soft all the way through. Set aside for a few minutes to cool
2. Once cooled slightly, cut in half and scoop out the flesh. Don't worry if there is a bit of char in the flesh as it adds to the smoky flavour. Leave flesh to drain in colander for at least 20 min.
3. In a food processor, blend together the aubergine flesh, tahini, garlic, salt and half the lemon juice until smooth. Add a good splash of olive oil for extra creaminess. Taste and then adjust the seasoning with salt, pomegranate molasses, olive oil and lemon juice.
4. To serve, drizzle with extra olive oil and scatter with pomegranate seeds if you wish.

Lavosh Crispbread

1. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan and line 2 baking sheets with baking parchment.
2. Sift the flours into a large bowl and then add all the remaining dry ingredients. Drizzle over the oils and water and bring together with a cutlery knife. It should be soft but not too sticky
3. Knead in the bowl for about a minute then dust a work surface and rolling pin with flour. Divide the dough into roughly 4 and roll into either thin strips or sheets and cut out biscuits. Sprinkle with the extra salt and seeds
4. Transfer onto baking sheets and bake 20-25 until crisp and dry. Be careful they don't catch around the edges! Leave to cool

Recipe Notes

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