Lebanese Moussaka

This Lebanese moussaka, also known as maghmour is a hearty, delicious, veggie filled stew that’s a classic Middle Eastern eggplant dish. It’s a saucy vegan moussaka that’s tangy and packed with flavor. This Lebanese eggplant dish is a must make!

Jump to:

• What is Lebanese moussaka?
• Why make Lebanese maghmour?
• What ingredients do you need for this dish?
• How to make Lebanese Moussaka:
• What to serve this Lebanese eggplant dish with:
• Storing leftover vegan moussaka:
• Expert tips and tricks:
• Recipe FAQs:
• For more delicious eggplant recipes:
• Lebanese Moussaka – Maghmour

What is Lebanese moussaka?

Moussaka is traditionally a Greek dish with eggplants and/or potatoes in a rich meat stew, topped with a creamy white bechamel sauce.

However, we have a Middle Eastern version. It’s very common in Lebanon and the Levantine. It’s a tangy tomato based sauce with eggplant cubes, usually green bell peppers and chickpeas. It can be made with or without meat. This version is a vegan moussaka, known as maghmour.

Why make Lebanese maghmour?

Not having to make a bechamel sauce means this dish comes together so quickly, is lighter, and really highlights the flavor of the vegetables.

The combination of eggplant, chickpeas, and bell pepper make this so filling and full of delicious contrasting textures.

The eggplant in this recipe is roasted instead of fried, a healthier, easier, and less time consuming option.

It’s a highly adaptable dish, you can throw in any veggies you like, omit any you don’t, swap out the spices.

It tastes even better the next day! The flavors really develop overnight in the fridge, so this is one of the few times I like leftovers more than the fresh dish.

What ingredients do you need for this dish?

Eggplants: The star of this dish! Go for smaller sized eggplants, they are less likely to be bitter.

Tomatoes: Crushed canned tomatoes for a great saucy base, tomato paste for intense flavor, plus some fresh diced tomatoes for freshness.

Chickpeas: A great source of protein in this vegetarian dish

Green bell pepper: Just one to enhance the dish

Onions: We thinly slice and caramelize them for lots of flavor

Garlic: Lots of sliced garlic, garlic enhances the flavor of any stew.

The spices: I used seven spices, commonly used in Middle Eastern cooking. You can make your own via the recipe here, or just use all spice or any mixed spice you have. I also use cinnamon, along with black pepper and salt. Kept it simple, but feel free to add paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, anything you like!

Pomegranate Molasses: This gives such a nice tangy undertone to the sauce. You can find this online or at a Middle Eastern specialty store. It has a really special flavor, tangy and sticky and a little sweet. If you can’t find it, you can either leave it out or substitute with balsamic vinegar.

Water: To thin out the sauce

How to make Lebanese Moussaka:

1. Heat oven to 425 F (220C). Peel the eggplant, leaving some strips of skin attached. Cut into 1.5-2 inch cubes, and sprinkle generously with salt. Leave aside for 10-30 minutes over a colander, then pat dry of excess moisture.
2. Roast the eggplant: Pat the cubes dry and arrange in a single layer in a baking pan. Drizzle with olive oil, and toss with hands to coat evenly. Roast for 25-30 minutes, tossing around halfway through cooking time, until golden brown and cooked through. Alternately, You can air fry at 375 F (190C) for 15-18 minutes, shaking the air fryer basket several times throughout the process.
3. Reduce oven heat to 350 F (180C). Heat the remaining 2 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet or dutch oven (oven safe if you have) over medium high heat. Add the sliced onions and cook until caramelized and golden brown, 8-10 minutes, stirring throughout.
4. To the onions, add the sliced garlic and diced tomatoes, then lower heat to medium and simmer for five minutes, until diced tomatoes start to become juicy.
5. Add the tomato paste to the pan, and saute for 30 seconds before adding the pomegranate molasses if using, along with the seven spices, cinnamon, pepper, and salt.
6. Add the crushed tomatoes and the water and simmer for a few minutes.
7. To the tomato sauce, add the roasted eggplants, drained chickpeas, and diced bell pepper to the sauce, stir to combine well. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 30-35 minutes until bubbling. (If you need to, transfer to oven safe baking dish).

What to serve this Lebanese eggplant dish with:

I like this with rice, plain basmati rice or vermicelli rice. You can find an easy recipe for vermicelli rice here, a commonly served rice with many Middle Eastern stews. For a healthier option, I often use brown basmati rice.

This would be delicious with couscous, or quinoa. You can have this plain, or dip some pita bread in it to eat it, also a common practice..

You can also serve this dish warm, room temp or cold. It’s delicious any way!

Garnish with chopped parsley, and add some toasted slivered almonds or pine nuts (optional but delicious)

Storing leftover vegan moussaka:

Leftovers will last tightly covered in the fridge for 4-5 days. You can reheat in the microwave or on the stove top.

This dish will freeze well, tightly covered container for 2-3 months. Thaw overnight before reheating.

Expert tips and tricks:

• Use smaller sized eggplant, and salt them generously over a colander to avoid bitterness.
• Roasted eggplant freezes beautifully, so you can double the amount of eggplant and freeze half for the future.
• Cook the onions thoroughly to soften and slightly caramelize them before adding in the rest of the ingredients. This flavor will carry through to the rest of the maghmour dish.
• You can leave out the chickpeas if you like, and/or add different vegetables like zucchini, sweet potato, etc.
• You can also add ground beef or lamb to the skillet after the onions caramelize, and turn this into a non-vegetarian moussaka. Super yummy too!
• If you’d like the sauce to be thinner, you can add more water.

Recipe FAQs:

For more delicious eggplant recipes:

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