Lebanese Moussaka Recipe

 Lebanese Moussaka Recipe

This Lebanese Moussaka, aka Maghmour, features summer produce, all combined with Mediterranean flavors. Hearty, healthy, and delicious, this naturally vegan stew will become a regular in your kitchen.

Cook Time35minutes mins

Total Time50minutes mins

CourseMezza, Side Dish

Servings4

Ingredients

• 3 eggplants
• 7 cloves garlic
• 2 white onions
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 green peppers
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200C (400F)
2. Wash, peel, and cut the eggplants. Peel the eggplants leaving some lines of skin. This way, the eggplant will keep its shape while cooking, and when stirred with the rest of the stew ingredients. Cut the eggplant into big chunks.
3. Place the eggplant pieces in a baking tray, drizzle a generous amount of olive oil, and combine making sure all the pieces are well coated.
4. Bake for about 20-25 minutes at 200C (400F). Before taking it out, make sure the eggplant has softened and is fork-tender.
5. Finely chop the onion, mince the garlic, and chop the tomatoes, if you are using fresh tomatoes.
6. Heat some olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion finely chopped, and cook for a few minutes until the color starts to change.
7. Add the garlic, and cook for 1-2 more minutes.
8. Add the tomato paste, cinnamon powder, and fresh tomatoes. Bring the heat to medium-low, stir well, cover with a lid, and cook for at least 10 minutes.
9. Make sure you add a little water from time to time so the tomatoes don't stick to the pan and burn.
10. Once the fresh tomatoes are cooked and fragrant, add the cooked eggplant, and chickpeas.
11. Add a little water, to make sure you get the right stew consistency.
12. Add the dried mint and combine well.
13. Garnish with fresh mint and lemon zest and serve.

Cooking Method

• Wash, peel, and cut the eggplants. For Maghmour, we recommend peeling the eggplant and leaving some lines of skin, as you can see in the picture. This way, the eggplant will keep its shape while cooking and combine it with the rest of the stew ingredients. Cut the eggplant into big chunks.

• Place the eggplant pieces in a baking dish or baking tray, drizzle a generous amount of olive oil, combine, making sure all the pieces are well coated, and bake for about 20-25 minutes at 400F (200C). Before taking it out, make sure the eggplant has softened and is fork-tender.

• Heat some olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion finely chopped, and cook for a few minutes until the color starts to change. Then, add the garlic and cook for 1-2 more minutes.

• Now, you can add the tomato paste, cinnamon powder, and chopped tomatoes. Bring the heat to medium-low heat, stir well, and cook for at least 10 minutes. For this part, we cover the pan with a lid. Keep adding a little water from time to time so the tomatoes don't stick to the pan and burn.

• Once the fresh tomatoes are cooked and fragrant, add the baked eggplant and chickpeas. At this point, add a little water to ensure the right stew consistency. I like adding the water just by tablespoons until I reach the perfect stewy consistency.

• Add the dried mint and combine well. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

Notes

If you like tahini sauce, you can make a quick tahini sauce like the one we use for our Tahini Eggplant, 

Nutrition

Calories: 318kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 0.5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 95mg | Potassium: 1910mg | Fiber: 24g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 1842IU | Vitamin C: 43mg | Calcium: 135mg | Iron: 5mg