Maghmour is a thick, velvety Lebanese vegetarian eggplant stew with chickpeas, garlic, onions, and tomatoes with a smoky, slightly spicy flavor. The Moussaka of Lebanon!
I want to introduce you to Lebanese Maghmour for this Meatless Monday!
What the heck is Maghmour, you ask?
Good question! When I first came across this recipe, I wondered the same thing, so I made a batch. This is now one of my favorite eggplant recipes!
What is Lebanese Maghmour?
Maghmour is a thick, velvety Lebanese vegetarian eggplant stew with chickpeas, garlic, onions, and tomatoes with a smoky, slightly spicy flavor. Maghmour is a dish that dates back to the end of the 19th century, sometimes called Lebanese Moussaka. However, it differs quite from the Greek moussaka, a casserole made with layers of eggplant, béchamel, and meat. Moussaka is an Arabic word that means chilled. Maghmour is served at room temperature or chilled.
About Eggplant (Aubergine)
Many people don’t like eggplant because of its texture. Eggplant (also known as aubergine) can become mushy if not handled properly, and normally, I salt eggplant whenever a recipe calls for it. Salting eggplant can draw out the bitter juices of larger and older eggplants. The salt also tightens and firms up the flesh, making the eggplant less likely to soak up as much oil, and, of course, salt adds flavor.
With this recipe, I discovered that salting the eggplant before cooking was unnecessary. Roasting the eggplant in the oven tends to do the same thing as the salt, drawing the moisture out and making the flesh firmer. This was a pleasant surprise, and I may choose to roast eggplants for dishes in the future. Sometimes, salting the eggplants can make the eggplant too salty if not rinsed enough.
(Read more about salting eggplant HERE)
About this Recipe
For this recipe, I cannot stress enough the importance of smoked paprika in this dish. Smoked paprika is a bright red spice made from dried pimiento peppers smoked over a fire and ground into a fine powder. Smoked paprika brings a deep, smoky aroma and flavor to everything it touches. (Read more about smoked paprika HERE.)
To boost up the smoke flavor, I chose to use fire-roasted tomatoes. I love adding fire-roasted tomatoes to dishes whenever possible. They add richness to dishes that anyone will love. If you don’t add fire-roasted tomatoes to your dishes, consider it for extra flavor.
Ingredients Needed To Make Maghmour
Eggplant (Aubergine): You’ll need about 1 ½ pounds of eggplant. An average eggplant can weigh between 1 and 5 pounds. Choose a firm eggplant that is not hard – meaning that if you press on the eggplant with your finger and it feels very soft, it’s past its prime. A perfectly ripe eggplant it will not give as much as a ripe tomato.
Chickpeas: I use canned chickpeas because you don’t have to take the time to soak and cook them tender. Drain and rinse the chickpeas to help control the sodium in your dish.
Oil: As always, I used extra-virgin olive oil. Pay attention to the recipe; you won’t need the whole amount of olive oil at once.
Onion: use any onion you have on hand for this recipe. I used sweet Mayan.
Garlic: fresh whole garlic cloves. You’ll need five cloves of garlic minced.
Salt: As with most of our recipes, I use Kosher salt. It’ll take about ½ a tablespoon, but I encourage you to salt to your taste.
Tomatoes: you can use fresh or canned tomatoes and their juices. For this recipe, I use fire-roasted for extra flavor.
Tomato Paste: use tomato paste for a richer, thicker sauce.
Spices: smoked paprika, ground cayenne pepper, and dried basil.
Broth or Stock: I use vegetable stock to keep this dish 100% vegetarian. Use whatever kind of broth or stock you prefer or have available.
Adaptations To The Recipe
Another change I made to the original recipes was substituting basil for the mint. Mint is not something I have readily available, and I didn’t want to purchase it from the grocery store since you can find various spices cheaper online. I chose dried basil for its slightly sweet and fresh aromatic flavor.
In addition, I decided to make the broth richer by using vegetable broth instead of water. To me, dishes are all about layers of flavor, and I felt that the vegetable broth was another way to add flavor.
How to Make Maghmour
Here’s a basic overview of how to make Maghmour. The recipe card at the end of this post provides detailed instructions with times and temperatures.
- Cut the eggplant into two-inch cubes, toss with olive oil, and roast in a 400-degree oven for 20-23 minutes or until tender and brown. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Saute the onion and sprinkle with the spices.
- Combine the tomato paste, tomatoes, chickpeas, and roasted eggplant; bring to a simmer. Then, add some vegetable stock as necessary to maintain a stew-like consistency.
- Cook the maghmour for 20-30 minutes, until flavors combine well.
- Serve warm and garnish with extra basil or fresh parsley!
Serving Maghmour
Serve Maghmour with lightly toasted pita bread and flatbread. Or, serve with or over rice.
Recipe FAQs
Either! You can serve Maghmour hot or cold, but I prefer warm.
Add cooked and browned ground beef, lamb, ground turkey, or chicken.
Store maghmour in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To reheat, transfer the moussaka into an oven-safe dish and place it on the center rack of an oven heated to 350°F for about 25 to 30 minutes.
Regardless of what you call it, this comforting vegan eggplant and chickpea stew is delicious, and it is easy to see why Maghmour has been around for centuries.
If you don’t try new cuisines often, I highly encourage you to do so. Trying cuisines from other cultures is a great way to get you out of a kitchen rut and inspire you to create your own dishes using different techniques and flavors.
What are your thoughts about this dish? Comment below!
Lebanese Maghmour
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant about 1 ½ pounds
- 15 ounce can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil divided
- 1 large onion diced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- Kosher salt to taste
- 15 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes with juices
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 to 2 cups vegetable stock
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Cut the eggplant into two-inch cubes. Toss the cubes onto the baking sheet with half of the olive oil. Place the baking sheet into the oven and roast 20 to 30 minutes, or until tender and browned.
- Meanwhile, heat remaining olive oil in a large heavy pot with lid, over medium heat. Add onions and a pinch of salt. Saute until translucent; about 15 minutes. Add the garlic, smoked paprika, cayenne, and basil; cook for 3 more minutes.
- Add tomato paste, and allow it to brown slightly. Add tomatoes, chickpeas, and roasted eggplant; bring to a simmer. Add in ½ cup vegetable stock as necessary to maintain a stew-like consistency. I only used one cup, however, the stock may not be necessary at all. Cook 20 to 30 minutes, until flavors combine well.
- Serve warm garnished with a little extra basil sprinkled over.
Wendy says
Thank you for this recipe! I haven’t tried this particular one, but do want to let you know that butternut squash or sweet potatoes or other winter squash can substitute for the eggplant for those who can’t tolerate eggplant. Also, lentils can substitute for the chickpeas. I love your mountain home, thank you so much for all you give to us. Blessings and gratitude to you.
The Mountain Kitchen says
Hi Wendy!
Thank you so much for the suggestions for replacement ingredients. It really helps to have other options available. I actually love the idea of lentils! Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I’m so happy to hear from you. Thank you for making what I do worthwhile!
Debbie
parth rathod says
This dish looks delicious
thank you for sharing
The Mountain Kitchen says
Thank you so much! 🙂
Antonia says
Looks delicious! I love the picture with the spoonful and the mountains in the background!
The Mountain Kitchen says
Thanks, Antonia!
Liz says
I love eggplant. I would like to try this recipe.
The Mountain Kitchen says
Liz, you will love this! Have a great weekend!
Isadora Guidoni says
I’m really curious to try this now, don’t think I’ve heard of maghmour before. Thanks for sharing!
The Mountain Kitchen says
Hi Isadora! I hope you enjoy it. It is delicious!
FrugalHausfrau says
Debbie, this dish is glorious! I haven’t used Eggplant enough, I can see! And the flavors must be incredible, especially with all your touches!
The Mountain Kitchen says
Thanks, Mollie. Hope you give this recipe a try!
Jhuls says
I love this recipe – I love anything with eggplants. Thanks for sharing, Debbie.
PS: I don’t know how I’ve missed so many recipe from you. I subscribed to your blog, so I don’t miss anything now. 🙂 x
The Mountain Kitchen says
You will love this recipe Jhuls. I hope you’ll give it a go and thank you for subscribing! <3
Michele says
Hi. I’ve been married to a Lebanese man for 30 years. Made this dish tons of times. Not sure why I never thought to roast the eggplant in the oven. Good idea. I use fresh tomatoes. Also add pomegranate molasses (found in middle eastern stores). Adds a nice tart flavor. Thanks for your take on this recipe!
The Mountain Kitchen says
Hi Michele, thank you for trading tips with me. Eggplant is so much better when you figure out how to cook it. Roasting it makes it a whole lot less mushy. I know of a middle eastern store close to where I work. I will have to look for the pomegranate molasses. It sounds amazing. Thanks again!
carole says
I have benn cooking lebanese food since a neighbor taught me years ago. I love all of it. I ate a dish similar to this at Grapeleave, a restaurant in Southfield,MI several months ago and decided to make it for a friend who is a vegan. I had meat eaters and vegans . I mad a chicken protein , rice , salad and maghmour. The vegan ate and loved the salt , rice and maghmour. The meat eaters ate everything , having maghmour as a side . Everyone was happy. It’s a very tasty dish and pretty easy.
The Mountain Kitchen says
Hi Carole! So glad you liked the recipe. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment and sharing with us.