Homemade Sabich will make you feel like you’re having breakfast in Israel! The ingredients in this Israeli recipe are simple. Make Sabich with fried eggplant, hummus, tomato and cucumber salad, tahini sauce, Israeli pickles, and a 6-minute egg, all stuffed into a pita pocket. Amba sauce is traditional in this sandwich.
Are you ready for a dish that we cannot get enough of? Sabich has an incredible balance of flavor and textures. It’s filling, and nutritious, and everything can be made ahead of time. This lets you have a hearty breakfast, lunch, or dinner with minimal morning prep! Here's how to make it!
What is Sabich?
Sabich is a breakfast sandwich Sabich of Iraqi origin, was brought to Israel by Iraqi Jews who settled in Ramat Gan, a Tel Aviv suburb. It’s often enjoyed on Shabbat mornings, but it’s also delicious any day of the week! Sabich is a vegetarian sandwich made with fried eggplant, hard-boiled egg, hummus, Israeli pickles, Israeli salad, and Amba (spiced pickled mango chutney) all stuffed into a pita pocket. It also may include other ingredients such as shredded cabbage, boiled potatoes, and onions. There’s no one way to make this popular sandwich but they’re all incredibly satisfying!
Sabich Vs. Falafel
If we had to pick two of the most popular Israeli street foods, it would be Falafel and Sabich sandwiches. They both taste differently, but some ingredients are common.
Falafel is the most famous Middle Eastern sandwich! Our classic Falafel with Tahini Sauce is a go-to that everyone loves. Falafel balls are traditionally fried and are made with soaked dry chickpeas, herbs, and spices, layered in a pita with fresh cucumber, tomatoes, hummus, and topped with tahini sauce and if you wish hot sauce or Schug.
Sabich is also a pita bread sandwich made with a tomato-cucumber parsley salad dressed simply with olive oil and lemon juice, hummus, tahini sauce, topped with Israeli pickles. But instead of falafel Sabich has a protein-rich hard-boiled egg and the addition of fried eggplant slices that takes this sandwich to a whole new level of deliciousness! One of the reasons Sabich became a Shabbat food is because observant Jews don’t cook on the Sabbath and Sabich is a dish that is delicious when eaten cold.
What is Amba?
Another feature that separates Sabich from Falafel is the addition of Amba. Amba is a savory spicy pickled mango chutney that adds a really interesting and bright flavor to this pita sandwich! You can find Amba in specialty or Middle Eastern markets, but if you can’t, mango chutney is a good alternative, but it's sweeter than Amba. Since Amba isn’t our favorite condiment, we usually leave it out, but give it a try and let us know what you think.
How to Make Sabich Sandwich
We were tempted to try this Sabich recipe with roasted eggplant instead of fried eggplant, but we decided to go the traditional route and fry eggplant for this recipe. To prevent the eggplant from absorbing too much oil, we salted the eggplant slices and let them sit in a colander before frying. Have a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb any excess oil and sprinkle some salt while the eggplant slices are still hot if you feel it needs it.
Make a homemade hummus or use store-bought, make a quick tahini sauce, cook the hard-boiled eggs and prepare the rest of the condiments.
All of the components of a Sabich Sandwich can be prepared ahead of time and assembled right before eating! Just store them all in separate containers in the refrigerator, have fresh pita bread handy, and breakfast or lunch will be served in a breeze. This also makes it great for busy families who want to have a filling, nutritious meal on the go.
How to Make Six-Minute Eggs
How long do boiled eggs take? The perfect hard-boiled egg time is exactly six minutes! The yolk is creamy, bright, and comforting and the white is perfectly set. Start with a saucepan of boiling water. Lower your eggs into the water carefully; we usually use tongs or a slotted spoon. Set a timer for six minutes, then give the eggs a quick ice bath. This stops the cooking and creates easy-to-peel shells!
More Eggplant Recipes
- High Protein Skillet Eggplant Lasagna
- Roasted Eggplant
- Eggplant Meatballs with Pomegranate Molasses
- Braised Eggplant in Fresh Tomato Sauce
- Buffalo Eggplant Fries
- Stuffed Eggplant with Fennel and White Beans
- Eggplant Pickle Salad Sandwich
If you enjoyed this recipe, it would help us tremendously if you left us a star rating in the comments below or on the recipe card. Do you have any questions about the recipe? Do you need a swap for any of the ingredients? We are here to help, just leave us a question in the comments below.
PrintSabich Sandwich
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 sandwiches 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Homemade Sabich will make you feel like you’re having breakfast in Israel! The ingredients in this Israeli recipe are simple. Sabich is made with fried eggplant, hummus, tomato and cucumber salad, tahini sauce, Israeli pickles, and a 6-minute egg, all stuffed into a pita pocket. Amba is optional, at least in our opinion!
Ingredients
- 2 Japanese eggplants or one large Italian eggplant, washed and unpeeled
- 1 tsp of salt
- ¼ cup of avocado oil or any other oil high smoking point oil suitable for frying
- 4 pita bread pockets
- 4 eggs
- 4 Israeli style pickles, sliced
- Tahini Sauce
- Store-bought or Homemade Hummus
- Amba (optional)
For the tomato-cucumber salad
- 2 cups chopped tomatoes of your choice
- 1 cup chopped cucumbers, preferably Persian or seedless
- ½ cup freshly chopped parsley
- 1 tbsp plus 2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2-3 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
- Prepare a bowl and place a colander on top of it
- Slice the eggplant into ½" slices, if using Japanese eggplant. If using Italian eggplant, cut the slices into bite-size pieces. Place it on the colander and sprinkle it with the salt. Toss well so the slices are coated with the salt. Let the eggplant sit for 20-30 minutes to drain (see note #1)
- Heat the oil in a 10" skillet and pan-fry the eggplant rounds over medium-high heat, 3-4 minutes per side, paying attention not to burn them. If they start to get too dark, lower the heat to medium. Set aside
- To prepare the tomato-cucumber salad, mix all the ingredients in a bowl and toss well. Refrigerate until ready to use
- To prepare the eggs, bring water to a boil in a small saucepan. Carefully add the eggs and cook for exactly 6 minutes (here's an online timer). Remove them from the water and place them in a bowl with ice water, or in a bowl in the sink with cold running water, to stop them from cooking further. Once the eggs have cooled, carefully peel them
- Make the hummus and tahini sauce
- Once the eggplant is cooked and all the sandwich components are prepared, cut one inch off the top of the pita bread and carefully open the pocket. Spread hummus on both sides, and carefully place the cooked eggplant, salad, pickles, tahini sauce, amba (if using), one egg cut in half per sandwich and drizzle with tahini sauce.
- If the pita you have doesn't have a pocket, serve Sabich as an open-faced sandwich
Notes
- Don't skip this step. It prevents the eggplant from absorbing all the oil while cooking. Some of the salt will drain out of the eggplant.
- Only half of the oil will get absorbed by the eggplant and it's reflected in the nutrition facts.
- All the components of this dish can be prepared ahead of time and assembled right before eating.
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 10
- Category: Sandwich
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: israeli
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 sandwich
- Calories: 435
- Sugar: 11.1
- Sodium: 1817
- Fat: 20.2
- Saturated Fat: 3.3
- Unsaturated Fat: 16.9
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 53.4
- Fiber: 10.9
- Protein: 15.9
- Cholesterol: 186
Dorie says
Excellent!!! I love to try new recipes using eggplant. Also that online timer is genius. Thank you!!
Vicky and Ruth says
Thank you so much!
Tmarac says
Sounds so delicious
I had never heard of Amba
Mangoes ! What a combo with eggplant !
Thanks