This beautifully spiced dish is an explosion of flavours. Manakish is a traditional Lebanese bread usually topped with za’atar spice, cheese or ground meat. Here we have paired it with a twist on a classic dish of the same origin: zucchini baba ganoush.
Zucchini baba ganoush with za’atar manakish
HANDS-ON TIME 1 hour | PROOFING TIME 1 hour | TOTAL TIME 2 hours 30 minutes MAKES 1 1/2 cups baba ganoush & 4 manakish
INGREDIENTS
ZUCCHINI BABA GANOUSH
- 1.4 kg zucchini, halved
- 1/2 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 cup tahini
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tbsp pomegranate seeds, to garnish
- 1 pinch of smoked paprika, to garnish
ZA’ATAR MANAKISH
- 1 1/4 cups and warm water
- 5ml sugar
- 1 tbsp instant yeast
- 3 cups flour, sifted
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup olive oil, plus extra
- 3 tbsp za’atar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
METHOD
ZUCCHINI BABA GANOUSH
PREHEAT oven to 200ºC. Grease an oven tray with cooking spray.
ARRANGE zucchini halves on the tray, drizzle with olive oil and salt. Roast for 1 hour until tender. Remove and cool.
SCOOP the soft flesh out of the zucchini halves into a food processor, leaving the skin behind. Add the garlic, lemon juice and tahini; pulse until mostly combined. While on low speed, slowly stream in the oil and blend until emulsified. Add the cumin and salt to taste, and stir through.
ZA’ATAR MANAKISH
COMBINE water and sugar in a bowl. Sprinkle yeast over and set aside for a few minutes until frothy.
SIFT flour and salt into a large bowl. Add olive oil and water mixture to the flour and mix to form a shaggy dough. Turn the dough out onto a working surface and knead for 5–10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
PLACE dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth and allow to proof in a warm place for 45 minutes to an hour, or until doubled in size.
COMBINE za’atar and olive oil in a bowl, whisk until incorporated.
PREHEAT oven to 230ºC. Line two baking trays.
PUNCH down the dough, divide into 4 equal portions and work into balls. Knead each ball into a thin, flat circle.
SPOON some za’atar paste over each disc, spreading over the surface evenly. Bake manakish for 10–12 minutes until golden.
SERVE za’atar manakish with zucchini baba ganoush.
Zucchini 'baba ganoush' with za'atar manakish
Ingredients
- FOR THE ZUCCHINI BABA GANOUSH
- 1.4 kg zucchini, halved
- 1/2 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 cup tahini
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tbsp pomegranate seeds, to garnish
- 1 pinch of smoked paprika, to garnish
- FOR THE ZA’ATAR MANAKISH
- 1 1/4 cups and warm water
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp instant yeast
- 3 cups flour, sifted
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup olive oil, plus extra
- 3 tbsp za'atar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Instructions
FOR THE ZUCCHINI BABA GANOUSH: Preheat oven to 200ºC. Grease an oven tray with cooking spray.
Arrange zucchini halves on the tray, drizzle with olive oil and salt. Roast for 1 hour until tender. Remove and cool.
Scoop the soft flesh out of the zucchini halves into a food processor, leaving the skin behind. Add the garlic, lemon juice and tahini; pulse until mostly combined. While on low speed, slowly stream in the oil and blend until emulsified. Add the cumin and salt to taste, and stir through.
FOR THE ZA’ATAR MANAKISH: Combine water and sugar in a bowl. Sprinkle yeast over and set aside for a few minutes until frothy.
Sift flour and salt into a large bowl. Add olive oil and water mixture to the flour and mix to form a shaggy dough. Turn the dough out onto a working surface and knead for 5–10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth and allow to proof in a warm place for 45 minutes to an hour, or until doubled in size.
Preheat oven to 230ºC. Line two baking trays.
Punch down the dough, divide into 4 equal portions and work into balls. Knead each ball into a thin, flat circle. Combine za'atar and olive oil in a bowl. Spoon some za'atar paste over each disc, spreading over the surface evenly.
Bake manakish for 10–12 minutes until golden. Serve warm manakish with zucchini baba ganoush.
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ALSO SEE: Lamb, pomegranate and hummus tarts
https://www.foodandhome.co.za/on-shelf/lamb-pomegranate-and-hummus-tarts
Kirsty is the food assistant on the Food&Home team. Usually baking up a storm, snapping pics on her camera or buried in her beloved recipe books, she also spends her time tinkering on the piano, doing contemporary dancing and enjoying the beautiful outdoors.