You might know Moussaka as the Greek national dish, but have never heard of the traditional vegan version from the Middle Eastern world, even though it is just as delicious.
What they have in common is the use of a rich tomato-sauce and fragrant-fried eggplants, but what sets Maghmour apart is the use of warm spices known to the Lebanese cuisine. Also the use of chickpeas and the fact that it is stewed and not baked makes it way easier to prepare.
What I love about this dish, is that you can eat it as a main with some bread on the side, or have it as part of a bigger meze and you can eat it either warm or cold, depending on your mood.
Ingredients and Steps to Maghmour
Eggplants and Chickpeas
Arguably, the two most important ingredients.
- Salt the diced eggplants to draw out excess moisture. This will make them more crispy and flavourful.
- Either fry or drizzle with olive oil to bake in the oven until they are caramelized and brown.
- I recommend to use dried chickpeas, as they provide a better texture and flavour. So soak them overnight and cook them until tender.
Make a rich tomato-sauce
- Sauté aromatics
- Add canned tomatoes, as well as tomato paste
- Lebanese flavours: Add dried mint, cumin and cinnamon. Optionally, use ground coriander and chilli
Assemble & Finish
Add the eggplants, cooked chickpeas and finish by adding fresh mint leaves.
Cooking Tips & Substitutions
- If you make a bigger batch, I recommend baking the eggplants. It is easier and less time-consuming.
- If you don’t have fresh or dried mint, substitute it for parsley
- If you are short on time, use cans of cooked chickpeas.
- Use any onion (except green ones)
- If you don’t plan on eating it right away or the day after, store it in an air-tight container. It will last in the fridge for 5 days and in the freezer up to 3 months
- Keep the sauce simmering for as long as you can, the flavour will intensify
The Recipe
Maghmour
Zutaten
Method
- When using dried chickpeas, cook them in a pot until tender (1 hour), drain and rinse. When using cooked chickpeas from a pan, drain and rinse them.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C. Trim the ends of the eggplants and dice the rest into mouth-sized pieces. Place them in a bowl, add salt and let them rest for 20 minutes to draw out moisture. Remove (drain) the liquid and coat the eggplants with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Align an oven tray with parchement paper, spread out the eggplants and bake them in the oven until brown (about 30 minutes).
- In a large pot, add the remaining olive oil and sauté the onions and garlic on medium heat until fragrant. Add the tomato paste, stirring until it is dissolved, and then add the crushed tomatoes. Season with salt and black pepper and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the ground seasoning (cumin, mint, cinnamon, coriander and chilli), mix and let it cook for another 5 minutes.
- When both are done, add chickpeas and eggplants to the pot with the vegetable stock. Bring to a boil and let it simmer on low heat for at least 10 minutes.
- Add fresh mint leaves, and adjust the seasoning to your taste
Notizen
- Use 3-4 cans of cooked chickpeas (240g drained weight each) instead.
- Substitute both the dried and the fresh mint for parsley
