Makdous (مكدوس) is Syria's most beloved preserved food; small baby aubergines boiled briefly until just tender, drained, hollowed, stuffed with a filling of crushed walnuts, garlic, and red chilli flakes, then packed tightly into jars and submerged in olive oil for three to seven days to cure at room temperature. The result is something unlike any other preserved food: intensely flavoured, slightly acidic from natural fermentation, oil-rich, gently spiced, and layered with a complexity that accumulates with each day of curing. Makdous keeps for months at room temperature once made, improving and deepening continuously.
The tradition of preserving aubergine in oil traces back to the preservation practices of the ancient Levant, where olive oil served simultaneously as cooking fat, flavour vehicle, and preserving medium: a practice documented in Byzantine and early Arab culinary traditions across the region. The principles are identical to those behind Italian sott'olio preserves or Persian torshi pickles: immersing cooked or salted vegetables in oil or brine excludes air, inhibits spoilage, and creates an environment where flavour transformation rather than decay takes place. The Levant's extraordinary olive oil culture (the olive tree has been cultivated in Syria and the eastern Mediterranean for over six thousand years) made oil-preservation both practical and natural.
Makdous is quintessentially and irreducibly Syrian. It is the dish Syrians describe as 'home' when living in diaspora: the flavour of autumn mornings in Damascus and Aleppo, of a grandmother's kitchen, of the ceramic jar that sat on the shelf for months, slowly curing. It is eaten as part of the traditional Syrian morning table: the ftour soubahi or breakfast spread; alongside labneh, olives, white cheese, fresh tomato and cucumber, honey, and flatbread. It also appears as a meze and is given as a gift between households, a practice that confirms its status not merely as a food but as an expression of care and hospitality.
The small baby aubergine variety used: each roughly the size of a large fig, about 6–8cm long; is essential to the recipe and cannot be meaningfully substituted with larger varieties. The bitterness in baby aubergines is milder, the skin is thinner and more yielding once cured, and the ratio of stuffing to flesh is correct at this size. The process spans several days but requires very little active work: most of the time is the oil and the bacteria doing their quiet, ancient labour.
It is a Syrian speciality above all, but Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine all put up the same jars each autumn, and in every one of them the annual making is a household event rather than a purchase.
Ingredients
Aubergines
1 kg baby aubergines (about 20, each approximately the size of a large fig, 6–8cm long), stems trimmed to 1cm
2 tsp coarse salt, added to the boiling water
Stuffing
100 g walnut pieces, roughly crushed in a mortar or with the flat of a knife, not finely ground, texture is important
4 garlic cloves, very finely minced or pounded to a paste
1.5 tsp dried chilli flakes, Aleppo pepper (pul biber) is strongly preferred for its fruity, moderate heat; standard chilli flakes work but are hotter
0.5 tsp fine salt, for the stuffing
1 small red bell pepper, very finely diced (optional addition to the stuffing)
Curing
400 ml good-quality extra virgin olive oil, approximately, enough to fully submerge the packed aubergines in the jar
Method
Wash the baby aubergines and trim the stems to about 1cm; leave a small stem stub as a handle. Do not remove the stems entirely. Using a small sharp knife, make a deep lengthways slit along one side of each aubergine, cutting from stem to base but stopping about 1cm from each end. The aubergine should open like a pocket but remain intact; do not cut all the way through.
Bring a large pot of water to the boil with 2 tsp coarse salt. Add the aubergines and boil for 6–8 minutes until they are just tender; a thin skewer should pass through the flesh with only slight resistance. They should be cooked through but still hold their shape firmly. Do not overcook; they will become too soft to stuff cleanly.
Drain the aubergines immediately into a colander. Arrange them slit-side down on a clean tea towel or several layers of kitchen paper laid on a tray, pressing gently. Allow them to drain and cool completely; at least 1–2 hours. The aubergines must release as much water as possible at this stage; excess water in the jar will impede curing and can cause spoilage.
While the aubergines drain, make the stuffing: combine the crushed walnuts, minced garlic, chilli flakes, salt, and diced red bell pepper (if using) in a bowl. Mix well. The mixture should be cohesive but rough; more of a textured paste than a uniform blend. Taste: it should be boldly seasoned, garlicky, and pleasantly spicy, as the flavours will mellow and distribute during curing.
Once the aubergines are fully drained and cool, stuff each one: gently open the slit with your fingers and pack approximately 1 teaspoon of filling firmly inside, pressing it all the way to the ends of the pocket. Press the aubergine closed around the filling. It should hold its shape and look like a sealed, slightly plump pod.
Sterilise a clean glass jar large enough to hold all the stuffed aubergines; a 1-litre jar is usually sufficient. Pack the stuffed aubergines tightly into the jar in layers, alternating the orientation so they nest compactly. Press them down firmly so there are no large air gaps between them.
Pour the olive oil slowly over the packed aubergines, allowing it to work its way down between them. Continue adding oil until the aubergines are completely and generously submerged; the oil level should sit at least 1cm above the top aubergine. Press the aubergines down gently with the back of a spoon and add more oil if needed. Seal the jar loosely (not airtight; slight gas release during fermentation is normal and desirable).
Leave the sealed jar at room temperature, ideally 18–22°C, for a minimum of 3 days and up to 7 days. During this time the aubergines will absorb the olive oil, the garlic and walnut stuffing will infuse the surrounding oil, and a gentle lacto-fermentation will develop in the aubergine flesh, creating a slight, pleasant acidity. Check the jar daily and top up with oil if needed to keep the aubergines submerged.
After 3–7 days, taste one aubergine: the flesh should have a gentle acidity, the stuffing should be fully merged with the aubergine flavour, and the olive oil should taste richly of garlic, walnut, and chilli. When the flavour is satisfying, the makdous is ready. Serve at room temperature, whole, alongside labneh, olives, flatbread, and fresh vegetables as part of a breakfast or meze spread.
Notes
Makdous is a multi-day project but almost entirely a hands-off one. The critical steps are: draining the boiled aubergines thoroughly before stuffing (excess water is the enemy of good curing), packing the jar tightly and keeping every aubergine fully submerged in oil throughout the curing period, and being patient. The minimum curing time is 3 days, but 5–7 days produces a richer, more developed flavour. Makdous made in autumn using the small aubergine harvest, mirroring the traditional Syrian practice, can be stored through winter, providing months of the breakfast table's most beloved flavour.
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