SABIH (ISRAELI INSPIRED OPEN AUBERGINE SANDWICH) WITH SPICED CHICKPEAS

I have been wanting to make this vibrant looking Middle Eastern / Jewish / Israeli iconic mash up dish / kinda sandwich / kinda salad that is often served for breakfast for quite sometime, not only because it looked all kinds of wow but also because it features just about all my favourite ingredients: chargrilled aubergine slices, spicy chickpeas, hummus, tahini, lots of veg, the most amazing spicy mango pickle (I know, who knew) and a ton of other tasty elements that make it quite the event when plated up!

Yes, it takes a little time to prep, after all there are quite a few sauces and toppings that need to be prepped but OMG it is sooo worth it. 

This was hands down one of the nicest, most fragrant yet healthy dishes I have rustled up this year and a total crowd pleaser, in fact if you leave out the egg on top it is also fully vegan! 

I found the Amba (mango pickle) at the trusted Turkish supermarket behind my house and it really did add a very unusual, spicy note to the final dish so if you can try and seek it out in a speciality store please do and if you are even more ambitious there are plenty of relatively straightforward looking recipes for homemade versions online too! 

All failing your sabih will still taste amazing without and luckily nowadays all other ingredients are widely available including tahini which you can find in just about any normal supermarket now!

I cannot wait to make this dish again and what better way to brighten up a very grey summer day than with a little bit of sunshine, feel good food -  we can all do with that right now.

SERVES 2

INGREDIENTS

FRIED AUBERGINE

• Olive oil
• 2 small aubergines 
• 2 tsp fine salt

SPICY CHICKPEAS

• 1 tin cooked chickpeas, drained well
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp chilli powder, adjust to taste
• Salt, to taste

ZHOUG (spicy herb condiment)

• 35 g / 1 cup packed fresh coriander leaves
• 20 g / ½ cup packed fresh parsley leaves
• 1-2 hot green chillies
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ¼ tsp ground cardamom
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• A pinch of sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• black pepper, to taste
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp water

TAHINI SAUCE

• 4 tbsp tahini
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• ½ large garlic clove, grated
• 1 tsp honey (or maple syrup if vegan)
• Salt & pepper, to taste

ISRAELI SALAD

• 1 cucumber
• 2 ripe tomatoes
• 1 medium spring onion, sliced
• A few stalks of parsley, chopped finely
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Lemon juice, to taste

REMAINING INGREDIENTS

• Savoury mango pickle (also known as Amba)
• 2 big fluffy pitta breads
• classic hummus (I used my favourite brand Sabra)
• Two boiled eggs, sliced in half - I built mine for 6 minutes and 30 seconds for a perfect waxy consistency (leave out for a Vegan version) 

METHOD

FRIED AUBERGINE

• Cut aubergines into 2.5 cm slices. 
• Sprinkle with salt on both sides and set aside for 30 minutes for any excess moisture and bitterness to go.
• After 30 minutes, wipe the salt off with a piece of kitchen towel. 
• Blot the slices on the kitchen towel until completely dry.
• Heat up a medium non-stick pan with 1 tbsp of oil. 
• Once the oil gets medium-hot, place the aubergine slices on the pan (be careful not to overcrowd the pan) and fry them gently until they are browned (about 3-4 min), then flip them to the other side and continue in the same manner. 
• Once you are done with the first batch, continue with the remaining batches adding oil as needed.

SPICY CHICKPEAS

• Make sure your chickpeas are completely drained.
• Mix all the spices together with a few pinches of salt in a small bowl.
• Heat up a heavy-bottomed pan on a medium-high heat. 
• Pour olive oil on the hot pan and wait a few seconds for the oil to heat up.
• Chuck the drained chickpeas into the hot oil and roast the chickpeas for a few minutes, until lightly browned here and there. 
• Make sure you stir them often.
• Stir the spice mix in and coat the chickpeas in it. 
• Take the pan off the heat and allow the spices to finish off roasting in the residual heat (ground spices can burn really easily and become bitter). 
• Check the seasoning and set aside.

TAHINI SAUCE

• Place the tahini in a small bowl. 
• Add enough warm (not hot) water to achieve a creamy and almost pourable consistency sauce – the amount of water depends on the type of your tahini. 
• Mix the two together vigorously.
• Season with garlic, maple syrup, salt, pepper and lemon juice.
• Set aside.

ZHOUG

• Place coriander, parsley and deseeded chilli in a food processor along with a clove of garlic and all of the spices.
• Process, drizzling in some olive oil (about 4 tbsp), water and lemon juice. 
• Take care not to overprocess as this sauce is meant to be a bit on the chunky side.
• Season with salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar.

ISRAELI SALAD

• Core tomatoes, discard the seeds and chop the fleshy part into a small dice.
• Place diced tomatoes and cucumber into a small bowl, mix in sliced spring onions and chopped parsley. Dress with a squeeze of lemon and a tablespoon of olive oil. 
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.

ASSEMBLY

• Top warmed-up pitas with hummus, halved eggs,  fried aubergine, spicy chickpeas, Israeli salad and condiments (tahini sauce, zhoug and mango pickle) and ENJOY!