Sabich Pita with Fried Eggplant and Amba

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-10-09 · Updated 2026-10-09

A classic Tel Aviv street sandwich: warm pita stuffed with crisp fried eggplant, jammy hard-boiled eggs, Israeli salad, tahina, and tangy mango amba. It's layered, saucy, and very satisfying. This Israeli-inspired vegetarian recipe, ready in about 50 minutes, pairs large eggplant, kosher salt, neutral oil for frying for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 560 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 1 (about 1 lb), sliced into 1/2-inch rounds large eggplant
• 1 1/2 tsp, divided kosher salt
• 1 cup neutral oil for frying
• 4 eggs
• 4 large, pocket-style pita breads
• 1/3 cup tahini paste
• 3 tbsp, divided lemon juice
• 1 clove, grated garlic
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup cold water
• 1/4 cup amba (pickled mango sauce)
• 2, finely diced Persian cucumbers
• 2, finely diced Roma tomatoes
• 1/4, finely diced red onion
• 1/4 cup, chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2, sliced dill pickles

The nonstick pan we’d use for this → Best Nonstick Cookware for 2026: Top 5 Skillet Picks + Buying Guide

Instructions

1. Step 1: Lay the eggplant slices on a tray and sprinkle with 1 tsp salt. Let sit 20 minutes, then pat very dry with paper towels.
2. Step 2: Meanwhile, place eggs in a saucepan, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil. Cover, remove from heat, and let stand 10 minutes. Transfer to ice water, peel, and slice.
3. Step 3: Make the tahina: whisk tahini, 2 tbsp lemon juice, grated garlic, and a pinch of salt. Gradually whisk in cold water until smooth and pourable.
4. Step 4: Make the Israeli salad: toss cucumber, tomato, red onion, and parsley with olive oil, the remaining 1 tbsp lemon juice, and 1/4 tsp salt.
5. Step 5: Heat the frying oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat to about 350°F. Fry the eggplant in batches, 2-3 minutes per side, until deep golden and tender. Drain on paper towels.
6. Step 6: Warm the pitas in a dry skillet or low oven and open the pockets.
7. Step 7: Assemble: spread a spoonful of tahina inside each pita, then layer eggplant, egg slices, Israeli salad, and pickles. Drizzle with more tahina and amba. Serve right away.