Summer eggplant stew (Maghmoor)

July 17, 2011  •  Category:

 

The reason for the summer title is because this dish used to appear every week  at our table when the first heat waves of summer were felt, because it is eaten at room temperature.


Plus it is entirely vegan.

I hated it as a kid; it reminded me of the eggplants we were served at the nun school, big greasy slices of fried eggplant staring at me that I would discreetly slip into the pocket of my school uniform.

Later on, of course, I grew to love it; if you have similar recollections involving eggplant, this is the one dish that might change your mind; the whole concoction is so mellow and soft and tangy from the tomatoes, it is really a delight.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 Large eggplant, about 1 pound
  • 1 large onion, about 10 ounces, sliced in rings
  • Oil, to fry the eggplant and the onions
  • 4 Large tomatoes, peeled and diced
  • 2 cups of cooked chickpeas
  • 6 garlic cloves (or more, or none) (you can mash a few with salt and add the last minutes of cooking)
  • Salt, pepper

METHOD:

  1. Peel the eggplant and cut into slices. Sprinkle with salt and let the brown juice drain out, about one hour or longer; wipe dry and fry in plenty of oil till golden-brown on both sides; transfer to paper towels to soak up the extra oil and set aside.
  2. Fry the onions till golden then add the cubed tomatoes; add the chickpeas and the eggplants and the garlic cloves whole  and bake in a medium-low oven for 30 minutes; or simmer over the stove gently until the juice from the tomatoes is almost all evaporated. Serve at room temperature with pita bread on the side.


Comments

27 Comments  •  Comments Feed

  1. Meister@Nervous Cook says:

    Eggpant does seem like something people have to come around to at some point: I know I did. (Though I never had to hide it in my pockets — that must have gotten messy!)

    Now that I’m crazy about eggplant, I’m also especially blessed: There seems to be an endless supply of it headed my way thanks to my CSA share. I’ll have to try this dish on an especially hot day!

  2. Claudia says:

    I “came around” to eggplant as an adult. Happily, my mother never gave up on me! This looks scrumptious and something I will try in a few weeks when my eggplant come in.

  3. zeki says:

    does this also go by the name emsakkat bil batinjan and how much chickpeas?thank you in advance

  4. Maria @ Scandifoodie says:

    I adore eggplant, and the flavours in this dish sound just perfect! This is a truly delicious dish!

  5. Diane says:

    I love egg plant so I would surely enjoy this. Diane

  6. Adelina says:

    I love eggplants and love your presentation. I have never had maghmoor but it reminds me of a similar dish that I grew up having called “Imam Byaldi.”

  7. Rosa says:

    A delicious looking stew! I am a big fan of that wonderfully versatile vegetable.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

  8. Banana Wonder says:

    Haha how cute you got (rejected) eggplants at the nun school?! I’m sure you heard of Imam Baildi meaning the priest has fainted in turkish…maybe there is a thing with religion and eggplants? Anyway, I love this combination – anything eggplant – and especially drenched in tomato sauce..mmmm

  9. Joanne says:

    I have only mass amounts of love for eggplant, so this dish sounds perfect to me!

  10. Chiara says:

    What a great recipe! Funny how nuns seem to ruin food everywhere in the world… where I went to school in Italy they made horrid pasta and even worse soup with what seemed to be dead seaweed…

  11. lisaiscooking says:

    I keep waiting to receive several eggplants at once from my csa, and I haven’t received any yet. This sounds so good with the chickpeas and garlic and pita for scooping. Hope I get some eggplant this week!

  12. Faith says:

    Looks like a tasty stew, Joumana. I think I might scale back the ingredients a bit and make it just for me…sigh, if only my hubby liked eggplant! 😉

  13. T.W. Barritt says:

    I am eagerly awaiting a flood of eggplant from the farm, and look forward to trying this. Room temperature works for me!

  14. weirdcombos says:

    Joumana,

    I am glad you gave eggplants a chance! It’s a fine vegetable. Your recipe looks dilish! Did you know that in Portuguese and Indian eggplant has basically the same name/sound?

    Portuguese: Beringela
    Indian: Brinjal

    Cheers,
    Hegs

  15. TastyTrix says:

    You have a seemingly endless supply of things to make with eggplant, I love it! One would never get bored at your table.
    I am trying not to imagine what the inside of your pockets looked like at nun school. ; ) *shudder*

  16. Sonia Rumzi says:

    Again with the amazing garlic in a delicious dish. Love your cooking. Hey, I tried the any leaves to be stuffed and it turned out amazing. Thank you for that.

  17. Magdalena says:

    First of all, Youmana, those eggplants hanging on a “eggplant tree” (????) looks amazing. Simple, but very tasty preparation :)))

  18. Magic of Spice says:

    I do not have eggplant growing this year but the markets are full of fresh beauties…wonderful way to utilize these wonderful veggies and so flavorful 🙂

  19. katie@cozydelicious says:

    This looks like a fantastic way to use up the summer bounty of tomato and eggplant. I usually make tons of ratatouille, but I love this simple variation on similar ingrediants. Perfect for a summer lunch!

  20. samir says:

    yum..always loved eggplant( properly prepared).. and adore this dish.so earthy yet luscious.will be making soon..our family also calls it msakkat el batinjan..I heard soaking eggplant in milk less oil absorbtion..any firsthand experience with this?

  21. Nuts about food says:

    The combination of eggplant and tomato is sublime. I agree, unless it is fried, eggplant is delicious and tastier at room temperature.

  22. Caffettiera says:

    In Southern Italy fried eggplants are the most common vegetable together with tomato, and one of the reasons why it is so loved is that it tasted great at room temperature, so you don’t have to cook in the hottest hours of the day. I never was put off by its greasiness, apart from health concerns, and I think I am going to love this stew with chickpeas.

  23. samir says:

    so it works?

  24. domi says:

    Une belle recette originale comme tu sais si bien nous les proposer, j’aime !!!

  25. Murasaki Shikibu says:

    Eggplants are in season now as are tomatoes. This really is a fine summer dish.

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