Maghmour

a white round bowl filled with cooked chickpeas and eggplant in a red sauce

5 from 6 votes

Maghmour, or Lebanese Moussaka, is a traditional vegan dish featuring tender eggplant, chickpeas, onions, and spices simmered in a rich tomato sauce. A hearty and flavorful Lebanese classic.

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Total Time35

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: Lebanese, Middle Eastern

Diet: Gluten Free, Low Fat, Vegan

Servings: servings

Calories: 54kcal

Author: Janelle Hama

Ingredients

3 medium - large Eggplants peel off alternating strips and cut into large cubes or chunks
3 small Red onions sliced
2 tablespoons Water
3 medium Tomatoes diced
3 medium Tomatoes pureed in food processor
1 can Chickpeas drained and rinsed (or 1½ cups)
2 tablespoons Tomato paste heaping
5 Cloves Garlic sliced
1 teaspoon Salt or to taste
½ teaspoon Lebanese 7 spice
½ teaspoon Black pepper cracked
⅛ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1⅓ cups Water

Instructions

Air fry the eggplant without oil until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Do this whilst preparing and cooking the rest of the dish.
If you prefer you can oven bake or shallow fry them with oil until golden brown.
3 medium - large Eggplants
In a non-stick pan over high heat, sauté red onions with two tablespoons of water (or oil) until they are soft and translucent.
Add the sliced garlic cloves and saute until they have softened (see note 1)
3 small Red onions, 2 tablespoons Water, 5 Cloves Garlic
Add diced tomatoes to the pan and cook until they have softened (a few minutes).
Meanwhile, puree the other batch of tomatoes in a food processor then the puree into the pan along with the chickpeas, tomato paste, and all the spices and seasonings. Stir until everything is well combined.
Let it simmer for 5 minutes on medium-low heat. The sauce will start to thicken slightly.
3 medium Tomatoes, 3 medium Tomatoes, 1 can Chickpeas, 2 tablespoons Tomato paste, 1 teaspoon Salt, ½ teaspoon Lebanese 7 spice, ½ teaspoon Black pepper, ⅛ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
Gently stir in the air fried eggplant and up to 1⅓ cups of water and let everything simmer on low-medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, allowing the flavors to meld together (the sauce will thicken further)
Turn off heat and allow the maghmour to cool for at least 15 minutes.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
Optional (highly recommended - top with dry toasted pine nuts and freshly chopped parsley leaves)
1⅓ cups Water

Video

Notes

Note 1 - when sauteing with water, constant stirring is required to avoid the food sticking to the pan, a nonstick pan is required.

Normally maghmour calls for the eggplant to be fried and the onions and garlic to be sauteed in olive oil.

Nutrition