Vegetarian Lebanese Eggplant Moussaka
This is a comforting and delicious Lebanese style eggplant casserole recipe with chickpeas. It is packed with tons of flavor with the addition of warm spices and pomegranate molasses.
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Ingredients
- 1 Medium Globe Eggplant*
- 4 tablespoons Olive Oil, divided use
- 1 Medium Onions, finely minced
- 3~4 Garlic cloves, cut into thick slices
- 1 15 oz. Chickpeas, rinsed and drained (1½ cups of cooked chickpeas)
- 1 tablespoon Pomegranate Molasses*
- 1 14 oz. Can of Diced Tomatoes*
- ½ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Ground Allspice
- To taste Salt & Pepper
- As needed Fresh Mint & Feta cheese (for garnish)
Instructions
- Trim the stems off of the eggplant and peel lengthways stripes about ½” wide. Then chop into ½” cubes.
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large saute pan over medium heat, add the chopped eggplant and saute until golden brown, about 5~7 minutes. Remove to a plate and set aside.
- In the same pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and add onions and the garlic. Saute until onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the cooked chickpeas and cook for 5 more minutes.
- Next add the pomegranate molasses. Mix well.
- Return the eggplant to the pan along with the tomatoes, salt, ground cinnamon, allspice and pepper. Mix well and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add 1 cup of water and simmer for 20~30 minutes until eggplant is completely tender and cooked through. Cooking time depends on which eggplant was used. Cubed globe eggplant cook much faster than the whole baby ones.
Notes
- I feel globe eggplant suits best for this recipe because they cook into a creamy consistency in no time. Also they tend to absorb the flavors more easily. But you can substitute them with 8~10 baby eggplants. Make sure to cook them a little longer, may be around 40 minutes until very tender and creamy.
- Chickpeas can be substituted with small white beans like cannellini, navy etc.
- Pomegranate molasses is an optional, but highly recommended ingredient. If you don't have it, add some lemon or lime juice and a pinch of sweetener (honey or agave nectar).
- Instead of canned tomatoes, use 3~4 fresh medium size tomatoes.
- Dish can be stored in an airtight container for 3~4 days in the refrigerator. You can also freeze it for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 252kcal
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