I love a dish that makes for great leftovers. This Lebanese chickpea maghmour is delicious straight out of the pan, but even better on day two after all of the flavors have blended together.
Maghmour is basically a Lebanese chickpea stew made with eggplant, tomato, and a special spice blend: baharat!
I first fell in love with maghmour at a farmer’s market stand, but I couldn’t quite recreate it until I found baharat at my local spice store. Baharat is a Middle Eastern blend made from spices like ground pepper, coriander, cloves, cumin, cardamom, paprika, and nutmeg.
Buying small packets of spice blends is one of the best ways to try cooking new cuisines! There happen to be TWO specialty spice stores in my town of Portsmouth, NH, but if you don’t have one near you, you can also buy baharat here on Amazon.
Start by peeling off the skin of a medium sized eggplant. The skin is too tough for our stew. Slice into discs, sprinkle with salt, and let sit for 15 minutes to draw out moisture. This will prevent the eggplant from being too soggy in the oven.
Wipe off excess moisture and then chop into 1/2″ pieces. Coat evenly with oil, sprinkle with more salt and pepper, and bake for 20 mins at 400 F.
In a large pan with high walled sides, start by cooking a diced onion on low heat for about ten minutes. Add the garlic, cook for another 30 seconds or so, then combine all remaining stew ingredients.
Add in the eggplant when it’s done baking. Simmer for at least 20 minutes, topping off with extra vegetable stock or water to maintain a stew like consistency. The longer you simmer, the better the flavors will combine in the final dish.
Aside from the baharat, one of the best parts of this dish is the variety of tomatoes used: fresh, sun dried, and even tomato paste! All of this tomato goodness adds complexity to the flavor on your plate.
Be sure to remove the bay leaf before serving because it is poisonous to eat on its own.
Serve warm with rice and top with fresh mint (preferably), or parsley. Leftovers will keep for several days in the fridge!
Print
Lebanese chickpea maghmour
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 medium eggplant
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- salt & pepper, to taste
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup vegetable stock or water
- 15 oz can chickpeas, drained
- 3 cups tomato, peeled and chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 cup sun dried julienne tomatoesÂ
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp molasses
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp baharat spice
- 1 cup uncooked basmati rice, or other riceÂ
- fresh mint or parsley, to top
Instructions
- Peel the eggplant and cut into 1″ thick discs. Sprinkle with salt and let sit 15 mins to draw out moisture. Wipe off excess moisture from eggplant, and dice discs into 1/2″ pieces.
- Coat eggplant lightly and evenly in about 2 tbsp olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake for 20 mins at 400 F.Â
- In a large pan, heat 1 tbsp oil on low heat, add the onion, and cook on low until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes.Â
- Add the minced garlic and heat on low for another 30-60 seconds.
- Add the stock or water, chickpeas, tomato, bay leaf, sun dried tomatoes, paste, molasses, paprika, and baharat to the pan. Add the eggplant when it’s done baking. Stir to combine, and let simmer for at least 20 minutes.
- While simmering, bring 2 1/4 cups of water to a boil, add the rice, and reduce heat to simmer for 15 minutes.Â
- Add more stock or water to the tomato mixture as needed to maintain a stew like consistency. Season to taste with more salt and pepper.
- Remove bay leaf, and serve the maghmour warm with rice. Top with fresh mint or parsley.
Notes
You can find a baharat spice blend at specialty spice or kitchen stores, or buy it here on Amazon.
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