Israeli Sabich with Eggplant (Printable)

Warm pita filled with crispy fried eggplant, creamy tahini, hard-boiled eggs, and fresh Israeli salad.

# What You'll Need:

→ Eggplant

01 - 2 medium eggplants, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
02 - 1 teaspoon salt
03 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
04 - 1 cup vegetable oil, for frying

→ Eggs

05 - 4 large eggs

→ Israeli Salad

06 - 2 medium tomatoes, diced
07 - 1 medium cucumber, diced
08 - 1/4 red onion, finely chopped
09 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
10 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
11 - 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
12 - Salt and pepper, to taste

→ Tahini Sauce

13 - 1/2 cup tahini paste
14 - 1/4 cup water
15 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
16 - 1 small garlic clove, minced
17 - Salt, to taste

→ Assembly

18 - 4 large pita breads
19 - 1/2 cup pickled mango sauce (amba), optional
20 - 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
21 - 1/4 cup sliced pickles, optional
22 - Hot sauce, to taste

# How To Make It:

01 - Sprinkle eggplant slices with salt and let rest for 15 minutes to draw out moisture. Pat dry thoroughly with paper towels.
02 - Lightly dredge eggplant slices in flour. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and fry eggplant until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.
03 - Place eggs in a saucepan, cover with water, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 9 minutes. Cool in ice water, peel, and slice.
04 - Combine diced tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, chopped parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Toss gently to mix.
05 - Whisk tahini paste, water, lemon juice, minced garlic, and salt until smooth. Adjust water quantity to achieve desired consistency.
06 - Warm pita breads briefly and slice open to create pockets ready for filling.
07 - Fill each pita pocket with fried eggplant, sliced eggs, Israeli salad, and drizzle generously with tahini sauce. Add amba, pickles, hot sauce, and chopped cilantro as preferred.
08 - Serve immediately while warm to enjoy optimal texture and flavors.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours on it, but you'll have everything ready in under an hour.
  • The fried eggplant stays crispy even after the tahini sauce hits it, which shouldn't work but does.
  • It's one of those rare vegetarian dishes that feels completely satisfying without apology.
  • You can prep most components ahead, then assemble right before eating.
02 -
  • The oil temperature makes the difference between sabich and soggy eggplant—it should shimmer and ripple, not smoke, and if you drop a small piece of eggplant in and it sizzles immediately, you're ready.
  • Don't skip the salting step; that's what separates restaurants from home cooks, and it takes fifteen minutes to completely transform the texture.
  • The tahini will seize and become grainy if you add lemon juice too fast—whisk the paste with water first until it's silky, then add acid gradually.
03 -
  • If your eggplant is browning too fast but still feels soft inside, your oil is too hot—lower the heat and give the slices more time to cook through gently.
  • Keep everything you can warm—the pita, the eggplant, even warming your serving plates makes a difference in how the sabich tastes and feels in your mouth.
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