Warm Pita Eggplant Tahini (Print Version)

Crispy fried eggplant, tahini sauce, eggs, and fresh Israeli salad wrapped in warm pita for a hearty vegetarian option.

# What You'll Need:

→ Eggplant

01 - 2 medium eggplants, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
02 - 1 tsp 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 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
10 - 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
11 - 1 tbsp 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 tbsp 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

# Steps to Follow:

01 - Sprinkle eggplant slices with salt and let sit for 15 minutes to draw out moisture. Pat dry with paper towels.
02 - Lightly coat eggplant slices with flour. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and fry slices until golden brown, approximately 2 to 3 minutes per side. Drain 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 to ice water, peel, and slice.
04 - Combine diced tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Toss thoroughly.
05 - Whisk tahini paste, water, lemon juice, minced garlic, and salt until smooth. Adjust water to achieve desired consistency.
06 - Gently warm pita breads and slice open to create pockets.
07 - Fill each pita with fried eggplant, sliced eggs, Israeli salad, and a drizzle of tahini sauce. Optionally add amba, pickles, hot sauce, and garnish with cilantro.
08 - Serve immediately while warm.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • The eggplant gets impossibly crispy while staying tender inside, and nobody will believe it's vegetarian.
  • Everything comes together in about an hour, making it perfect for weeknight dinners that feel special.
  • You can prep components ahead and assemble fresh, which means less chaos when people are hungry.
  • It's endlessly customizable—add pickles, skip the amba, go heavy on hot sauce, whatever your mood demands.
02 -
  • Patting the eggplant completely dry after salting is non-negotiable—any moisture clinging to the surface will cause sputtering oil and steamed eggplant instead of crispy slices.
  • Don't skip letting the salted eggplant rest; those 15 minutes of waiting transform the texture from spongy to substantial in a way that feels almost magical.
  • Tahini can seize if you get aggressive with the whisking, so go slow and steady, adding water gradually until you hit that perfect pourable consistency.
03 -
  • Keep your oil temperature steady by not crowding the pan—eggplant needs space to fry, not steam, and overcrowding drops the temperature and ruins texture.
  • Make your tahini sauce slightly thinner than you think you want it; it thickens a bit as it sits and you want it to flow through the pita without pooling at the bottom.
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