Iraqi Jewish hummus may include fried eggplant and what cooked topping?

Iraqi Jewish hummus may include fried eggplant and boiled eggs.

This combination reflects a broader Iraqi Jewish food tradition in which eggplant and eggs were important components of breakfast and Sabbath meals. In hummus preparations associated with Iraqi Jews, fried eggplant adds a rich, silky texture and browned flavor, while boiled eggs provide a firm, savory contrast.

The pairing is closely related to sabich, an Iraqi Jewish sandwich that became a popular Israeli street food. Sabich typically combines fried eggplant, hard-boiled eggs, salad, tahini, amba and sometimes hummus in pita or laffa bread.

A common mix-up is to treat sabich and hummus as the same dish. They are not: hummus is the chickpea-and-tahini spread, while sabich is a filled sandwich or plate built around eggplant and egg. Regional recipes vary, so potatoes, pickles, additional sauces or salad may also appear, but boiled eggs are the defining cooked egg topping in this context.