Israeli Sabich Warm Pita (Printable)

A vibrant dish with fried eggplant, tahini sauce, eggs, and fresh vegetables wrapped in warm pita.

# What You 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 pickles, sliced (optional)
22 - Hot sauce, to taste

# Directions:

01 - Sprinkle sliced eggplant with salt and let rest for 15 minutes to extract 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 on both sides, approximately 2 to 3 minutes per side. Drain excess oil on paper towels.
03 - Place eggs in a saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 9 minutes. Transfer eggs to ice water to cool, then peel and slice.
04 - Combine diced tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, chopped parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl. Toss thoroughly to blend flavors.
05 - In a bowl, whisk together tahini paste, water, lemon juice, minced garlic, and salt until smooth. Adjust consistency by adding more water if necessary.
06 - Warm pita breads briefly to soften. Slice open each pita to form a pocket.
07 - Fill each pita pocket with fried eggplant, sliced eggs, Israeli salad, and drizzle with tahini sauce. Add optional amba, pickles, hot sauce, and garnish with cilantro as desired.
08 - Serve immediately while warm for optimal flavor and texture.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • It's completely vegetarian but so hearty and satisfying you won't miss meat for a second.
  • The contrast between crispy eggplant and creamy tahini is oddly addictive and tastes more impressive than the effort required.
02 -
  • Don't skip the salting step with eggplant, it's not optional, it's the difference between crispy and waterlogged and I learned this the hard way on my first attempt.
  • The tahini needs to be whisked properly until completely smooth or you'll get weird grainy spots that ruin the whole experience.
03 -
  • If your tahini sauce breaks or gets too thick, whisk in a little water slowly until it comes back together instead of starting over.
  • Have all your components prepped and ready before you start frying eggplant because timing is everything and you want everything warm and fresh when you assemble.
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