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.
I remember the first time I tried this vibrant dish. It was a hot summer day, and we went to visit some friends who cooked a delicious Maghmour for us. I like eggplant, but it's not one of my top choices for vegetables. After the first spoonful, I was already over the moon with it!
Lebanese Moussaka features fried or roasted eggplant (we prefer roasting it), tomatoes, and chickpeas. These ingredients are simmered to create a hearty stew seasoned with dried mint and cinnamon. This Maghmour recipe is as simple as it sounds and served with some Lebanese rice; you'll have a great summer menu! We included it in our Mediterranean Kitchen Ebook, as so many of you loved the recipe and have been making it since it came out!
The best part of this recipe is that Maghmour is naturally vegan, which is great, right? And even if Lebanese Moussaka is a stew, it is made with summer produce and served at room temperature or cold, which makes it a winning dish for this season. During the summer months, we grow our own eggplants and tomatoes, which makes this recipe an easy dish to prepare using our homegrown veggies.
Have a look at these other vegan Middle Eastern recipes for more inspiration if your enjoy this type of cuisine.
Ingredients
For this recipe, you'll need some fresh vegetables and a few pantry ingredients that you probably already have!
Eggplants. For this dish, we prefer medium to large eggplants. To ensure that the eggplants are fresh, make sure the top part is still green (sometimes it can be moldy or brown).
Fresh tomatoes. Traditionally, Maghmour is made with fresh tomatoes. You can optionally use canned tomatoes if fresh tomatoes are not ripe and juicy. Other options we've used before are passata or homemade or jarred tomato sauce.
Chickpeas. You can use canned chickpeas or tinned chickpeas by simply adding them to the stew or dry chickpeas, soaking them in fresh water overnight, and pressure cooking the chickpeas until tender before adding them to the Maghmour.
Tomato paste. We like adding some tomato paste or tomato puree to add that umami note to the dish.
Onion and garlic. Yellow onion and fresh garlic are the base of this Lebanese Moussaka. You can use white onions, red onions, or shallots.
Cinnamon. Our Maghmour recipe includes cinnamon powder as it enhances the natural sweetness of the tomatoes. You can also use a cinnamon stick.
Dried mint. Mint is used to give Maghmour its unique flavor. You can also, use fresh mint to garnish the dish as we do, but we recommend adding some dried mint also. You may not be able to get dried mint in your regular grocery store, but you should be able to find it in most health food shops or large supermarkets.
Olive oil. For this recipe, we bake the eggplant. To do this, we first coat the eggplant pieces in olive oil.
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.
Lebanese Moussaka (Maghmour)
Ingredients
- 2 eggplant
- 1 yellow onion
- 2-3 garlic cloves
- 3 fresh tomatoes
- 1-2 tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ cup water adjust while cooking
- 1 cup chickpeas
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoon dried mint
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the over to 200C (400F)
- 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.2 eggplant
- 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.
- Bake for about 20-25 minutes at 200C (400F). Before taking it out, make sure the eggplant has softened and is fork-tender.
- Finely chop the onion, mince the garlic, and chop the tomatoes, if you are using fresh tomatoes.1 yellow onion, 2-3 garlic cloves, 3 fresh tomatoes
- 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.1 yellow onion
- Add the garlic, and cook for 1-2 more minutes.2-3 garlic cloves
- 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.1-2 tablespoon tomato paste, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, 3 fresh tomatoes
- Make sure you add a little water from time to time so the tomatoes don't stick to the pan and burn.½ cup water
- Once the fresh tomatoes are cooked and fragrant, add the cooked eggplant, and chickpeas.1 cup chickpeas, 2 eggplant
- Add a little water, to make sure you get the right stew consistency.
- Add the dried mint and combine well.2 teaspoon dried mint
- Garnish with fresh mint and lemon zest and serve.Salt and pepper
Notes
- If you like tahini sauce, you can make a quick tahini sauce like the one we use for our Tahini Eggplant, and drizzle some over the dish before serving.
- Make it spicy by adding some harissa paste, chili flakes, cayenne pepper, chili powder, or chili oil to make this eggplant and chickpea stew spicy.
Newsletter
Nutrition
Unlike the Greek Moussaka, which typically includes layers of meat and béchamel sauce, Lebanese Maghmour is a vegetarian dish with a base of eggplants, tomatoes, and chickpeas. It is lighter and features distinct Middle Eastern flavors. I guess you could say Maghmour is a Vegan Eggplant Stew.
Yes, Maghmour can be prepared in advance and reheated. Many people (including myself) find that the flavors get even more intense after sitting for a day or two in the refrigerator.
Yes, Maghmour freezes well. I normally allow it to cool completely before I transfer it to a freezer-safe container.
Different Ways To Prepare the Eggplant
- Fry the eggplant. If you want to keep this Mediterranean recipe traditional, you can fry the eggplant. We prefer baking it, as it absorbs less oil than fried eggplants, and the whole dish will be healthier. But if you decide to fry the eggplant, deep fry it in hot oil using a frying pan, and then leave it on a paper towel to release the excess oil before adding it to the stew.
- Air-fry the eggplant. You can cook the eggplants using the Air Fryer. It will take around 20 minutes for the eggplants to fully cook.
- Steam the eggplant. You can also steam the eggplant for this recipe. You can follow the method that we use for our Chinese Garlic Eggplant to get your aubergine beautifully cooked using a steamer.
Serving Suggestions
Maghmour is a hearty main dish that we love to serve at room temperature during summer but also slightly warmer during winter months.
Our favorite way to enjoy this eggplant dish is with some Pita bread, freshly baked zaatar manakeesh, or flatbread. You can also serve Maghmour over Lebanese rice, Mediterranean yellow rice, couscous, or quinoa.
Garnish the dish with some fresh mint or parsley, lemon zest to add some acidity, and toasted pine nuts to give a great texture.
If you like tahini sauce, you can make a quick tahini sauce like the one we use for our Tahini Eggplant and drizzle some over the dish before serving. Alternatively, you can add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil or some fresh lemon juice before serving.
Want to enjoy this dish as a side dish? Serve it together with other Middle Eastern dishes such as hummus, roasted sweet potatoes, pita bread, falafels, or a fresh salad.
Store and Reheat Maghmour
If you have some leftovers of this Middle Eastern moussaka, you can store them in the fridge using an airtight container. If you prefer this dish served at room temperature, take it out of the fridge for one or two hours before serving it again.
Another way to reheat the leftovers is by using our best friend, the microwave!
Hanna says
This recipe is super easy and really tasty, I think the mint is a bit overpowering though.
I put it in all at once and it overpowered the taste. It may be just my personal preference but I will put in less mint next time I make it (and then add more if needed)
Laura Arteaga says
Hi Hannah, thanks for your comment! Did you use fresh or dried mint? I would say fresh mint would definitely be overpowering, but dried mint not so much for our taste. Sure, next time use less mint or maybe add another dried herb you like better 🙂