We all know moghrabieh, but did you ever imagine it as a street food and not just any street food, but as a sandwich? in the heart of the old souks of Tripoli, built more than 900 years ago, is a small shop that has been producing this meat-free moghrabieh for the last two centuries or so. Al Dabboussi claims to be the inventor of the modern mograbieh, inspired by couscous, simplified and transformed to fit the Middle East.

So, now you know that the origins of moghrabieh are found in this small hidden spot in Tripoli’s souk. Mr. Dabboussi welcomed me, the great grandson of a family of passionate cooks. They have developed a handmade recipe without meat which they fill in sandwiches with pickled cucumbers and beetroots. The moghrabieh is simple, containing semolina, hummus and onions. A filling food for the poor, Mr. Dabboussi tells me. All it needs is to be grilled with margarine fat and rolled into a sandwich.

Honestly, it’s a tasty thing. The fat is absorbed by the tender bread, while the inner filling melts slowly. Perfectly cooked onions you rarely feel, well seasoned moghrabieh and crunchy vegetables transform a dish into a street food bite. All of this for only LBP2,000. PS: You can buy Moghrabieh for take-away and home preparation for LBP1,000 a kilo

The shop is located inside the old Souk of Tripoli near Al Attar Mosque.

Source: www.nogarlicnoonions.com