Eggplant and Tahini Dip (Mutabal)

The roasted eggplant and tahini dip called mutabal (also spelled mutabbal or moutabbal) is what many of us in the U.S. think of as baba ghanoush. We found that even in the Middle East, where both dips originate, the names often are used interchangeably, though baba ghanoush typically includes other ingredients, such as tomato and walnuts. Jordanian home cook Ihab Muhtaseb taught us his method for making mutabal, so that’s what we’re calling this dip. This adaptation of his recipe includes chopped parsley, which adds fresh, grassy notes, and a finishing drizzle of pomegranate molasses for tangy-sweet contrast. If you’d like to further embellish the mutabal, as many restaurants in Jordan do, make the simple tomato-cucumber salad that follows and spoon it on top just before serving. Offer warm flatbread on the side.