Eats: Lebanese Moussaka at Wafa's in Forest Hills, Queens
FOREST HILLS (WABC) -- Cooking has always been a family affair for Wafa Shami.
"I always cook in quantity for like a big party, 30-40 people. I always have a lot of leftovers. I always invite my friends over and they say 'Wafa, you should open a restaurant,'" she said.
And she did. She outgrew her first spot and moved to the forest hills location in 2011. Her customers followed.
The menu includes stuffed eggplant, grape leaves, a wide array of appetizers and entrees, and one dish that's a staple on Lebanese menus called moussaka.
It's made with fried chunks of eggplant, which get added to what is in essence a stew of onions, garlic, peppers, chickpeas and tomatoes.
Discover more about Wafa's at www.wafasfood.com.
Recipe
Lebanese Moussaka from Wafa's
Ingredients:
3 large eggplant partially peeled and cut into chunks
4 tablespoons of pomegranate juice
1 cup of chickpeas, soaked in 4 cups of water overnight, then boiled until soft
4 tablespoons of tomato paste
2 large onions, julienned
1 cup of water
2 green peppers, julienned
4 large tomatoes (or 1 can of excellent quality tomatoes) cut into chunks
1 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
1 tsp of dried mint
1 bunch fresh mint, chopped
10-12 garlic cloves minced
4 cups, plus 1/4 cup Olive oil
Preparation
1. Heat 4 cups of extra virgin olive oil in a skillet on high.
2. Fry the chunks of eggplant until golden. Remove and place in a strainer to drain excess oil.
3. In a large sauce pot saute onions, garlic, peppers, chickpeas, salt and pepper.
4. Add tomatoes paste, pomegranate syrup and water and bring to a slow boil.
5. Add the dry and chopped fresh mint and the fried eggplant. Mix very gently and bring to a slow boil once again.
Can be served hot or cold.
Enjoy with pita bread!
