Cold appetizers · The home kitchen
Musakaa
Eggplant, tomatoes and chickpeas form a comforting vegetable dish that can anchor a mezze table. Roasting the eggplant first gives it a rich flavor while the chickpeas make the tomato sauce more substantial. This Lebanese-style musakaa is delicious warm, and its flavors become rounder after a short rest. This is an original home-style interpretation inspired by the menu’s ingredients, rather than Beiruty’s restaurant formula. Quantities are written for a domestic kitchen so you can prepare the dish confidently and adjust the final seasoning to your own taste. The independent recipe linked below provides another cook’s perspective and useful background for exploring this style of food at home.
A home-style recipe inspired by our menu. Restaurant preparation, portions and ingredients may differ.
Make it at home
Musakaa recipe
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Rest / chill
- 10 min
- Total
- 80 min
Ingredients
- 700 g eggplant, cut into 3 cm cubes
- 400 g drained cooked chickpeas
- 150 g onion, sliced
- 400 g canned chopped tomatoes
- 3 garlic cloves, sliced
- 60 ml olive oil
- 150 ml water
- 15 g tomato paste
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Method
Heat oven to 220°C/425°F. Toss eggplant with 30 ml oil and half the salt; roast on a tray for 25 minutes, turning once.
Soften onion in remaining oil in a saucepan for 8 minutes. Stir in garlic and tomato paste for 1 minute.
Add tomatoes, chickpeas, water, allspice, pepper and remaining salt. Simmer 10 minutes, then fold in eggplant and simmer gently 15 minutes.
Rest 10 minutes before serving with bread.
Make it your own.
- Keep eggplant cubes large enough to retain their shape.
- Add a splash of water if the sauce catches before the eggplant softens.