Sabich
Sabich is a pita filled with fried aubergine, hard-boiled egg, potato, tahini, and amba — a dish that traces its origins to Iraqi Jewish immigrants who settled in Israel in the 1950s. The name is thought to derive from the Arabic word for morning, reflecting the meal's origins as a Shabbat breakfast. On the Sabbath, observant Jews could not cook, so the components were fried the previous evening and assembled cold on Saturday morning. Amba sauce — fermented mango with fenugreek, turmeric, and cumin — is the condiment that distinguishes sabich from other pita sandwiches and cannot be substituted. The tahini is prepared thin enough to drizzle rather than spread. The aubergine must be fully cooked through and well-salted before frying.
Rich in vitamins
Fresh and healthy
Fermented
Contains fermented ingredients
Rich in protein
Filling and nutritious
Traditional recipe
Authentic taste
Ingredients 4 servings
- 4 large pita breads
- 1 large aubergine (~400 g), cut into 1 cm rounds
- 4 tbsp oil for frying
- 4 eggs
- 300 g waxy potatoes, boiled until tender and sliced 1 cm thick
- 4 tbsp tahini paste
- 1 lemon, juice only
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 4 tbsp amba sauce (fermented mango pickle sauce)
- 2 tomatoes (~200 g), finely diced
- 1 cucumber (~150 g), finely diced
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 slices pickled cucumber and fresh parsley, to serve
How to make it
- 1Hard-boil the eggs: lower into boiling water, cook for 10 minutes, then transfer to cold water for 5 minutes, peel, and slice into rounds.
- 2Sprinkle the aubergine slices on both sides with 1/2 tsp salt and leave for 10 minutes, then pat dry with kitchen paper.
- 3Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat and fry the aubergine in batches for 3–4 minutes per side until deep golden and tender throughout, then drain on kitchen paper.
- 4Whisk the tahini with the lemon juice, crushed garlic, and 3–4 tbsp cold water until creamy and pourable.
- 5Combine the diced tomatoes and cucumber with the remaining 1/2 tsp salt and a drizzle of olive oil.
- 6Warm each pita for 1 minute per side in a dry pan, then carefully open the pocket without tearing.
- 7Layer each pita with fried aubergine, sliced potato and egg, the tomato-cucumber salad, a generous drizzle of tahini sauce, a spoonful of amba sauce, pickled cucumber, and fresh parsley, and serve immediately.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
