Sabich Sandwich with Amba and Tahini

Tags: #israelifood #vegetarian #streetfood Serving: 4 sandwiches Total time: 75 minutes

An iconic Israeli-Iraqi pita packed with fried eggplant, hard-boiled eggs, potato, bright Israeli salad, tangy amba, and creamy tahini.

Ingredients

• 700 g globe eggplant, sliced 1 cm thick
• 12 g fine salt, for sweating eggplant
• 300 ml neutral oil, for frying
• 2 g fine salt, for seasoning fried eggplant
• 220 g large eggs (4 eggs)
• 300 g waxy potatoes, peeled
• 10 g fine salt, for boiling water
• 250 g ripe tomatoes, small dice
• 200 g Persian cucumbers, small dice
• 60 g red onion, small dice
• 15 g flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 15 ml lemon juice, for salad
• 15 ml extra-virgin olive oil, for salad
• 4 g fine salt, for salad
• 1 g ground black pepper, for salad
• 120 g tahini paste
• 140 ml ice water, divided
• 30 ml lemon juice, for tahini
• 5 g garlic, grated
• 1 g ground cumin
• 4 g fine salt, for tahini
• 320 g Israeli pita (4 pitas, 80 g each)
• 200 ml amba sauce
• 120 g Israeli pickles, sliced
• 20 g parsley leaves, for garnish
• 40 g schug (optional)

Steps

1. Lay eggplant slices on a tray.
2. Sprinkle 12 g salt evenly over both sides of the eggplant.
3. Rest eggplant for 30 minutes.
4. Rinse eggplant under cold water.
5. Pat eggplant dry with paper towels.
6. Pour 300 ml oil into a wide skillet.
7. Heat oil to 180°C over medium-high heat.
8. Add a single layer of eggplant slices to the skillet.
9. Fry eggplant until deep golden on the first side, 3–4 minutes.
10. Flip eggplant slices.
11. Fry eggplant until deep golden on the second side, 2–3 minutes.
12. Transfer fried eggplant to a rack or paper-towel-lined tray.
13. Sprinkle 2 g salt over the hot eggplant.
14. Repeat frying with remaining eggplant slices.
15. Place eggs in a saucepan in a single layer.
16. Cover eggs with cold water by 2 cm.
17. Bring the water to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
18. Reduce heat to low.
19. Simmer eggs for 9 minutes.
20. Transfer eggs to an ice bath.
21. Cool eggs for 5 minutes.
22. Peel eggs under running water.
23. Slice eggs into 8 mm rounds.
24. Place potatoes in a pot.
25. Cover potatoes with cold water by 3 cm.
26. Add 10 g salt to the pot.
27. Bring the pot to a boil over high heat.
28. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer.
29. Simmer potatoes until tender, 12–15 minutes.
30. Drain potatoes.
31. Cool potatoes for 10 minutes.
32. Slice potatoes into 5 mm slices.
33. Place tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, and chopped parsley in a bowl.
34. Add 15 ml lemon juice to the bowl.
35. Add 15 ml olive oil to the bowl.
36. Add 4 g salt and 1 g black pepper to the bowl.
37. Toss the salad gently.
38. Taste the salad.
39. Add more salt if needed.
40. Place 120 g tahini paste in a mixing bowl.
41. Add 30 ml lemon juice to the tahini.
42. Add 5 g grated garlic and 1 g cumin to the tahini.
43. Whisk the tahini mixture until it thickens.
44. Add 80 ml ice water to the bowl.
45. Whisk the tahini until smooth and pale.
46. Add more ice water, 10 ml at a time, until the sauce flows from a spoon.
47. Add 4 g salt to the tahini sauce.
48. Taste the tahini sauce.
49. Adjust lemon or salt to taste.
50. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
51. Wrap the pitas in foil.
52. Warm the pitas for 5 minutes.
53. Cut a 3 cm opening at the top of each pita to form a pocket.
54. Spread 20 ml tahini sauce inside each pita.
55. Spoon 20 ml amba sauce inside each pita.
56. Divide the fried eggplant among the pitas.
57. Divide the potato slices among the pitas.
58. Divide the egg slices among the pitas.
59. Spoon Israeli salad into each pita.
60. Add pickles to each pita.
61. Drizzle an additional 10 ml tahini over each pita.
62. Drizzle an additional 10 ml amba over each pita.
63. Tuck parsley leaves into each pita.
64. Add schug to taste, if using.
65. Serve the sabich immediately.

Notes

• Eggplant technique: Salting draws out moisture and collapses air pockets, which reduces oil absorption and keeps slices creamy, not greasy. Maintain oil near 180°C for best texture.
• Eggs: For traditional overnight haminados flavor, simmer eggs with onion skins, tea, and a drizzle of oil for several hours, then use as above.
• Baking alternative: For a lighter version, brush eggplant with 30 ml oil and bake at 220°C until browned, 20–25 minutes, flipping once.
• Amba: Use a tangy, flowable mango amba. Thin thick amba with 10–20 ml water if needed for drizzling.
• Pita: Use thick, pocketed Israeli pitas (80–100 g each) to hold fillings without tearing.
• Make-ahead: Fry eggplant up to 24 hours ahead and rewarm at 200°C for 6–8 minutes. Store tahini and salad refrigerated up to 24 hours; assemble just before serving.
• Dietary: Vegetarian as written. For vegan, replace eggs with 300 g chickpeas and increase potato to 450 g.