Iraqi Sabich in Pita with Amba and Zhug with homemade tahini sauce

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Tahini sauce

1. 1
   Mix the tahini and lemon juice and season with salt.
2. 2
   Gradually add cold water while stirring, until the sauce is smooth, pale and pourable.

   💡When you add the first water, the tahini thickens and looks like dough: that's fine. Keep adding water and stirring, and it loosens into a smooth sauce.
3. 3
   Mix the tahini, lemon juice and garlic and season with salt.
4. 4
   Gradually add cold water while stirring, until the sauce is smooth, pale and pourable.

To assemble

1. 5
   Heat the oil in a deep pot and fry the eggplant slices in it until golden, and drain on paper towels.

   StoveSlotted spoonCandy/oil thermometerDeep pot for frying

   💡Fry eggplant for sabich until golden and completely soft, and drain well: it soaks up oil, and the paper draws out the excess.

   💡Keep the oil at 170–180°C: too cold, and the food soaks up oil; too hot, and it browns outside before the inside cooks. Without a thermometer, dip the tip of a wooden spoon in the oil: when medium bubbles form around it right away, the oil is hot enough.

   💡Don't overload the oil: every piece that goes in cools it down. Fry one piece as a test, then the rest in several batches, and transfer to paper towels.
2. 6
   Open the pitas and spread tahini sauce inside.
3. 7
   Arrange the eggplant and slices of hard-boiled egg in the pita.
4. 8
   Add the amba, schug, salad and pickles.