Ingredients
5 tablespoons extra virgin rapeseed oil
2 aubergines
1 teaspoon sea salt
For the sauce:
1 red pepper
6 ripe tomatoes
2 tablespoons extra virgin rapeseed oil
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, grated
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 teaspoons ras el hanout (from mezze.ie or see recipe below)
1 teaspoon paprika
1 x 400g tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 small lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons tomato purée
1 tablespoon date molasses/syrup
1 teaspoon sea salt
¹/² teaspoon ground black pepper
To serve:
rice or bulgur wheat
Maghmour – aubergine and chickpea casserole
This Lebanese dish is similar to a moussaka with its layers of aubergine slices but without the need for a cheesy top, making it naturally vegan. It freezes well, so it’s worth making extra. Maghmour also tastes delicious cold the next day after the flavours have melded together. Serve as a chunky dip with bread or lavosh flatbreads and a drizzle of tahini sauce.
Serves 4
Ingredients
5 tablespoons extra virgin rapeseed oil
2 aubergines
1 teaspoon sea salt
For the sauce:
1 red pepper
6 ripe tomatoes
2 tablespoons extra virgin rapeseed oil
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, grated
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 teaspoons ras el hanout (from mezze.ie or see recipe below)
1 teaspoon paprika
1 x 400g tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 small lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons tomato purée
1 tablespoon date molasses/syrup
1 teaspoon sea salt
¹/² teaspoon ground black pepper
To serve:
rice or bulgur wheat
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Drizzle some of the oil on a large baking tray. Cut the aubergines into rounds
3–4mm thick and place on the oiled tray. Drizzle over the remaining oil and
season with the salt. Roast in the oven for 35–40 minutes, turning halfway
through, until golden brown. Add a little more oil if they look too dry.
To make the sauce, place the red pepper and tomatoes on a small baking tray
and roast whole for 35–40 minutes, turning the pepper halfway through
the roasting time, until the skins are charred. Place the pepper and tomatoes
in a sealed container until they’re cool enough to handle, then peel and chop
them. Add them back to the container along with all their liquid.
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and fry until soft. Add the grated carrot, garlic, ras el hanout and paprika and fry for 1–2 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients along with the reserved liquid from the pepper and tomatoes. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes, until the sauce has thickened, adding a little water if needed.
Add a layer of aubergine slices to the bottom of a deep baking dish (a lasagna dish works perfectly), then pour over half of the sauce. Add another layer of aubergine slices and finish with the remaining sauce on top.
Bake in the oven for 40 minutes. Serve with rice or bulgur wheat.
