Makhlouta

Makhlouta is a thick and rustic Lebanese stew that is prepared with a variety of beans, wheat, and legumes such as kidney, white, and garbanzo beans, chickpeas, lentils, and bulgur. The beans and legumes should be soaked overnight before they are slowly stewed the following day, typically together with onions and spices, while some variations may also include pomegranate molasses or tomato paste. Makhlouta is usually prepared as a vegetarian dish, though meat can sometimes be served together with the stew. In rural areas, this hearty stew was also sometimes prepared with awarma—pieces of lamb preserved in fat. The name of the dish translates as mixed, which probably stems from the variety of grains and legumes that are combined in this hearty dish.