Lebanese Maghmour – Moussaka of Lebanon {A Meatless Monday Recipe

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.

1. 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.
2. Saute the onion and sprinkle with the spices.
3. 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.
4. Cook the maghmour for 20-30 minutes, until flavors combine well.
5. 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

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!