About the Recipe
Manakeesh, while traditionally a breakfast dish, makes for a great breakfast-for-dinner situation to share amongst loved ones. When I was in Lebanon visiting my family, manakeesh became an integral part of my eating experience. When my grandmother gifted me some za'atar from the village our family is from in Lebanon, I knew this is what I would use it for! So easy to make and delicious to taste.
Ingredients
For the Za'atar Manakeesh:
Dough:
1 TBSP instant yeast
1 cup warm water
1 TSP salt
1 TSP sugar
3 cups of flour
2 TBPS EVOO
Za'atar Spread (slight variation from the Feel Good Foodie):
1/2 cup za'atar
1/3 cup olive oil
For the Baba Ghanoush:
3 large eggplants
1.5 TBSP tahini
1 TSP salt
1 TSP cumin
1 TSP paprika
Garnish with parsley and paprika
Preparation
Za'atar Manakeesh:
This recipe comes from Yumna Jawad of the Feel Good Foodie
One note: using the quanities of flour Jawad lists in her post for the dough, I noticed I was only able to make 5 full size manakeesh and 1 smaller size - if making for a larger, or hungrier party, you might want to multiple the recipe slightly. Recommended bake time is 12 minutes which I would encourage you stick to, even if your manakeesh don't look as golden brown as in the images.
Baba Ghanoush:
Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Slice your eggplants in half and brush with olive oil and paprika. Place the eggplant face down on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 50/55 minutes. The eggplant should collapse when poked with a fork.
Remove the filling of the eggplant into a strainer to let hte juices run out into a bowl. If you'd like later, you can incorporate a couple TSP of juice back into the recipe.
Combine the eggplant with your tahini, salt, cumin, and paprika and mash with a fork until smooth.
Gradually add olive oil and salt, and a bit of fresh parsley.
All done! Serve fresh or the day after.