Baby eggplants stuffed with walnuts, garlic and red bell pepper and steeped in olive oil; makdous is a pantry cabinet staple and a technique our ancestors in Lebanon, Syria and the Middle East used to preserve eggplants bounty from one year to another; they’re pure decadence served as part of the mezze, side dish or accompaniment for stews, mujadaras, pilafs or any main, learn how to make makdous at home like a pro.
Makdous is part of the mouneh (preserved foods)
Many Lebanese villages have traditions of mouneh; mouneh in Arabic means the homemade pantry cabinet preserved foods from the harvest, basically, a year’s worth of provision, from dairy products to jams, olives, pickles, grape leaves, makdous and more. The best makdous makers in Lebanon are the folks of Baalbak, an ancient city in Lebanon, located in the Beqaa Valley, they produce the best flavorful preserved eggplants in oil; I have learned making makdous from a skilled lady in Baalbak, so you are in for a treat.
Don’t let the long process intimidate you
When you visit Lebanese specialty stores you will often see makdous jars sold for costly price. It’s cheaper to make at home and way better with my version, it’s a long process but believe me so worth it, it is fun to make too.
Tips to consider when making makdous
- Avoid bitter eggplants, it is advisable to test 1 eggplant before (cook it anyway) before making the whole madkdous batch.
- Sterilizing your jar is important. Start by washing the jar and lid in hot, soapy water, then sterilize it by boiling for 10 minutes, this will prevent the bacteria, microorganism and molds from spoiling makdous.
- Don’t boil the eggplants for long, start by 10 minutes or more, depending on the type of the eggplants, stick a fork in the thickest part of an eggplant to see if the fork slides in easily with no resistance, the eggplants are done; overcooking will yield a mushy makdous.
- Eggplants should be totally submerged in the oil.
- Makdous is all about drying eggplants, red bell pepper and walnuts, so please follow the steps patiently to achieve the ideal results.
- Keep the makdous jar away from sunlight to extend its shelf life.
- Eggplants in the jar should be all the time covered in olive oil, by time add more olive oil if needed.
- You should use a dry spoon to remove makdous from the jar. Water must not be introduced into the makdous jar, moisture can cause mold to grow very quickly.
Ingredients needed to make makdous:
- Baby eggplants: Baby eggplants are perfect for makdous, you can use any firm type, that hold their shape even after boiling
- Aruba or red bell peppers: Aruba red peppers are best used to make makdous since they carry less water, but red bell pepper can be used as well.
- Walnuts: Add a desired crunchy contrast to makdous; use the freshest walnuts you can find, and avoid the stale and ransid ones, they will negatively ruin the whole batch of your makdous.
- Garlic: just a few to deepen the flavor notes of the filling.
- Non-iodized sea salt: Use non-iodized sea salt, since iodized salt may affect the curing process. Salt does two things in making makdous: First, it helps draw the water out of the eggplants. Second, it acts as a preservative, keeping your makdous last longer, but don’t go heavy with salt, watch the detailed video tutorial.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Use the best extra virgin olive oil you can find, the eggplants will absorb the olive oil, so the better the olive oil is, the more decadent your makdous will be.
- Chili peppers, to add more heat to the filling.
How to serve makdous?
- Consider it a breakfast treat alongside fried eggs and labneh.
- Serve it with all kinds of mujadara, a match made in food heaven.
- Add it to your Middle Eastern mezze spread.
- Serve it will stews and pilafs
- Serve it on its own with Arabic bread on a busy day for a quick ready meal, I often do that.
Now Let’s Get Started
Cut, dry and grind the red bell pepper
- First, remove the stems of the red bell peppers and red hot pepper, cut into wedges, remove the seeds and put on a tray for 24 hours under sunlight or next to an air condition draft to dry out. After 24 hours, place in a food processor and pulse a few times to grind to a chunky paste; transfer to a strainer, the excess liquid will start dripping into the bowl placed under the strainer, yes even after drying the red bell pepper, that may still have water, refrigerate until needed (this can be kept in the fridge for 1 or 2 days), get rid of the excess liquid under the strainer.
Toast a bit the walnuts
- Place the walnuts in an oven sheet and toast in a preheated oven, to 150 °C/300°F, just for 10 minutes, our goal is to dry out the walnuts without changing its color (this will bring out their earthy flavor).
To prepare the red bell pepper and walnut filling:
-
- Roughly chop the walnuts with a serrated knife.
- Remove the crushed red bell pepper from the fridge and get rid of the excess water underneath the colander. This step can be made two days in advance and kept covered with cling film in the refrigerator.
- In a bowl, mix together the crushed red pepper paste and crushed garlic, mix well to infuse the garlic with the red bell pepper, add the roughly crushed walnuts, and season with sea salt, take a bite to adjust the salt to your liking.
Cook the eggplants
- Wash the eggplants under running water, keep the tip (stem end) at this stage. Transfer the eggplants to a large pot, cover with a cake pan that can be fit in the pot, and put a light chef’s press cooking weight (watch the video tutorial below) over the pan to exert pressure. This will prevent the eggplants from floating. Cover with water and bring to a boil, leave it to cook for 10 minutes or more, stick a fork in the thickest part of an eggplant to see if the fork slides in easily with no resistance, the eggplants are done, ( don’t over cook either). Prepare an ice bath and transfer the eggplants with a slotted spoon to the ice bath, this technique preserves the crisp-tender texture and fresh flavor; when the eggplants have totally cooled down remove the stem ends. Remove the stem end.
Season and dry out the eggplants
- Using a sharp knife, vertically, make a small slit lengthwise in each eggplant, being careful not to cut all the way through, dip your finger in sea salt and massage the inner part of the eggplants (about 1/4 teaspoon) of sea salt for each aggplant, and even the outer part (watch the video tutorial). Transfer to a colander and place the colander inside a large bowl to catch the liquid.
Cover with a clean kitchen towel, put an oven sheet or cake pan on top of the towel,
Put about 15 kgs/ 33 lbs weights on top of the cake pan. Our goal is to rid the eggplants totally of water, this a crucial step in making makdous, after 12 hours raise the weight to 25 kgs/ 55 lbs to exert more pressure and rid the eggplants totally of water, leave it more for 36 hours, at this stage the eggplants should be totally dried out. Watch the detailed video tutorial.
Here is what the eggplants look like after 48 hours of pressing them with heavy objects; they are dried out and look paper thin.
Stuff the eggplants
Stuff each eggplant with the filling, packing it tightly, and exert pressure a bit on the edges to enclose the filling.
Blot the eggplants with a kitchen paper towel to keep them neat and tidy.
Pack the makdous in a jar and add olive oil
Pack the stuffed eggplants in a clean air-tight glass jar, exert a bit pressure on the eggplants in the jar and keep 1 inch of the atop jar empty. Add the extra virgin olive oil to totally submerge the eggplants. Keep it on your kitchen shelf for 10 days before eating, allowing the flavors to develop together.
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Makdous, Preserved Eggplants in Oil / Authentic
Description
Baby eggplants stuffed with walnuts, garlic and red bell pepper and steeped in olive oil; makdous is a pantry cabinet staple and a technique our ancestors in Lebanon, Syria and the Middle East used to preserve eggplants bounty from one year to another; they’re pure decadence served as part of the mezze, side dish or accompaniment for stews, mujadaras, pilafs or any main, learn how to make makdous at home like a pro.
Ingredients
- 2.5 kg / 5.5 lbs baby eggplants
- 1.5 kgs / 3.3 lbs red bell pepper
- 4 garlic cloves or more , you may add up to 1 head
- Sea salt as needed
- 400 grams/ 14 oz raw walnut halves
- Red chilis to your taste preference
- 4 cups of extra virgin olive oil ar maybe more, to cover the eggplants
Instructions
- Cut, dry and grind the red bell pepper
- First, remove the stems of the red bell peppers and red-hot pepper, cut into wedges, remove the seeds and put on a tray for 24 hours under sunlight or next to an air condition draft to dry out. After 24 hours, place in a food processor and pulse a few times to grind to a chunky paste; transfer to a strainer, the excess liquid will start dripping into the bowl placed under the strainer, yes even after drying the red bell pepper, that may still have water, refrigerate until needed (this can be kept in the fridge for 1 or 2 days), get rid of the excess liquid under the strainer.
Toast a bit the walnuts
- Place the walnuts in an oven sheet and toast in a preheated oven, to 150 °C/300°F, just for 10 minutes, our goal is to dry out the walnuts without changing its color (this will bring out their earthy flavor).
To prepare the red bell pepper and walnut filling:
- Roughly chop the walnuts with a serrated knife.
- Remove the crushed red bell pepper from the fridge and get rid of the excess water underneath the colander. This step can be made two days in advance and kept covered with cling film in the refrigerator.
- In a bowl, mix together the crushed red pepper paste and crushed garlic, mix well to infuse the garlic with the red bell pepper, add the roughly crushed walnuts, and season with sea salt, take a bite to adjust the salt to your liking.
Cook the eggplants
- Wash the eggplants under running water, keep the tip (stem end) at this stage. Transfer the eggplants to a large pot, cover the eggplants with a cake pan that can be fit in the pot, and put light weight (watch the video tutorial below) over the pan to exert pressure. Cover with water and bring to a rolling boil, leave it to cook from 10 minutes or more, stick a fork in the thickest part of an eggplant to see if the fork slides in easily with no resistance, the eggplants are done, (don’t overcook either). Prepare an ice bath and transfer the eggplants with a slotted spoon to the ice bath, this technique preserves the crisp-tender texture and fresh flavor, when the eggplants have totally cooled down remove the stem ends.
- Season and dry out the eggplants
- Using a sharp knife, vertically, make a small slit lengthwise in each eggplant, being careful not to cut all the way through, dip your wet finger in sea salt and massage the inner part of the eggplants with sea salt (about 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt for each eggplants, and even a bit on the outer part (watch the video tutorial). Transfer to a colander and place the colander inside a large bowl to catch the liquid.
- Cover with a clean kitchen towel, put an oven sheet or cake pan on top of the towel.
- Put about 15 kgs weights on top of the cake pan. Our goal is to rid the eggplants totally of water, this a crucial step in making makdous, after 12 hours raise the weight to 25 kgs to exert more pressure and rid the eggplants totally of water, leave it more for 36 hours, at this stage the eggplants should be totally dried out. Watch the detailed video tutorial.
- Here is what the eggplants look like after 48 hours of pressing them with heavy objects; they are dried out and look paper thin.
Stuff the eggplants
- Stuff each eggplant with the filling, packing it tightly, and exert pressure a bit on the edges to enclose the filling.
- Blot the eggplants with a kitchen paper towel to keep them neat and tidy.
Pack the makdous in a jar and add olive oil
- Pack the stuffed eggplants in a clean air-tight glass jar, exert a bit pressure on the eggplants in the jar and keep 1 inch of the atop jar empty. Add the extra virgin olive oil to totally submerge the eggplants. Keep it on your kitchen shelf for 10 days before eating, allowing the flavors to develop together.
Video
Notes
- Sterilizing your jar is important. Start by washing the jar and lid in hot, soapy water, then sterilize it by boiling for 10 minutes, this will prevent the bacteria, microorganism and molds from spoiling makdous.
- Don't boil the eggplants for long, start by 10 minutes or more, depending on the type of your eggplants, stick a fork in the thickest part of an eggplant to see if the fork slides in easily with no resistance, the eggplants are done; overcooking will yield a mushy makdous.
- Keep the makdous jar away from sunlight to extend its shelf life.
- When packing your makdous ensure the eggplants in jar remain completely submerged in oil, by time add more olive oil if needed.
- You should use a dry spoon to remove makdous from the jar. Water must not be introduced into the makdous jar, moisture can cause mold to grow very quickly.
- It is a crime to waste the leftover olive oil, the flavored makdous oil adds a pleasant dimension to dressings, olives, meat rubs, chicken and fish recipes.
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