Huevos haminados (slow-cooked Sephardic eggs), fried eggplant slices inspired by iconic Tel Aviv restaurant HaKosem, and quick tahini sauce are the key elements of sabich — an Iraqi Israeli sandwich that is arguably the best Jewish ‘wich ever. Stuff into fresh pita and drizzle with amba (a fermented mango condiment). Some also add slices of boiled potato, pickles, and/or Israeli salad.
Notes:
- You will need to make the huevos haminados ahead of time; they cook for 8-12 hours.
- The tahini sauce recipe makes about two cups. Store in the fridge for a couple of days and use for cauliflower steaks, or drizzle over roast vegetables.
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Sabich Recipe
Worth every minute of cooking time.
- Total Time: 13 hours 35 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients
For the huevos haminados (slow-cooked eggs):
- 6 large eggs
- 2 black tea bags
- 2 Tbsp Turkish coffee
- peels from 4 onions
- 2 quarts water
For the fried eggplant:
- 1 large eggplant
- 4 Tbsp kosher salt
- ½ cup cornstarch
- canola oil, for frying
For the tahini sauce:
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 (16-ounce) jar tahini
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 Tbsp kosher salt
- 1–1 ½ cups ice water
Instructions
- Make the huevos haminados ahead:Preheat the oven to 200°F. Mix all the ingredients with the water in a large ovenproof pot. Cover and bake for at least 8 hours or up to 12 hours.
- Remove the pot from the oven. Crack but do not peel the eggs, then return them to the pot with the liquid. Set the pot on the stovetop and cook over high heat, uncovered, until almost all the liquid has evaporated, about 20 minutes (watch closely, the eggs will explode if the pot gets too dry). Cool the eggs on a plate, then peel and slice.
- Make the fried eggplant: Stripe the eggplant lengthwise with a vegetable peeler and trim off the ends. Slice into 12 roughly ½-inch-thick rounds. Sprinkle each of the eggplant slices on both sides with the salt and drain on a wire rack set on a baking sheet for 1 hour.
- Pat the slices dry with paper towels. Put the cornstarch in a shallow bowl. Dredge the eggplant in the cornstarch on both sides and tap off the excess. Place a large skillet over medium heat and coat the bottom with oil. When the oil is hot, fry the eggplant in batches for about 2 minutes per side, or until golden. With a spatula, transfer the eggplant to paper towels to drain. Cool slightly before assembly.
- Make the tahini sauce: Nick off a piece of the garlic (about a quarter of the clove) and drop it into the bowl of a food processor. Add the lemon juice to the bowl. Pour the tahini on top, making sure to scrape it all out of the container, and add the cumin and salt. Process until the mixture looks peanut butter-y, about 1 minute, then stream in the ice water a little at a time with the motor running. Process until the mixture is smooth and creamy and lightens to the color of dry sand.
- Assemble ingredients into a fresh pita and drizzle with amba.
Notes
- You will need to make the huevos haminados ahead of time; they cook for 8-12 hours.
- The tahini sauce recipe makes about two cups. Store in the fridge for a couple of days and use for cauliflower steaks, or drizzle over roast vegetables.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 hours 30 minutes
- Category: Lunch
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Iraqi
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I’m drooling excessively. How about using laffa and a recipe for that please. I will make this. Thanks so much.
Where can I get some of these ingredients such as Amba
Hi Caro, here’s everything you need to know about amba (including where to get it and how to make it at home).