Mafghoussa means “squashed” in Arabic, and that’s because the vegetables are squashed into cold salads once they are roasted. There are different versions of mafghoussa: some are made with tomatoes and laban jameed (salted and dried yoghurt), some are made with olive oil, as I have done here.
The beauty of mafghoussa is that it’s a zero-waste recipe. You can use the cored insides of the courgettes (zucchini) or use the entire courgettes; the taste is slightly different, but it’s still delicious.
Mafghoussa is always served cold. This refreshing dish works beautifully with grilled meats on the side or by itself as a meal.
Ingredients
Extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 fresh red chilli, thinly sliced
500 g / 18 ounces courgette interiors or chopped entire courgettes
1 teaspoon salt
Juice of 1 lemon
30 g / 1/4 cup pine nuts
30 g / 1/2 cup coarsely chopped mint and parsley leaves
Warm bread, to serve
Method
In a large frying pan, heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and sauté. until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the chilli with its seeds to the garlic and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, until the garlic and the chilli are softened and lightly colored. Add the courgette flesh, stir well, decrease the heat to medium, and sauté for 15 to 20 minutes, until well cooked. While you stir, the courgette flesh will slowly break down. Add the salt and the lemon juice and mix well. Transfer the mafghoussa to a bowl and leave it to cool down.
In the meantime, in a small pan, toast the pine nuts in a bit of olive oil over medium heat until lightly colored and fragrant, about 1 minute. Set aside.
When the mafghoussa has cooled down, sprinkle the mint and parsley and pine nuts on top and drizzle another teaspoon of olive oil on top, then serve with warm bread for scooping.