This is a mashup of two super Lebanese dishes, Makhlouta and Maghmour, with additions of Bangladeshi vege (that’s really a fruit), Mexican spice (that changes it's name when it's dried) and a few English and Iranian berries thrown into the mix.

Makhlouta means ‘mixed’ and is a colourful and hearty soup made from dried pulses and flavoured with sweet and peppery spices. Maghmour means ‘cold’ and is more of a moussaka made from aubergines, onion, garlic and chickpeas in a tomato sauce.

I’ve combined the lentils and spices from the makhlouta with the aubergines from the maghmour and added their common ingredient chickpeas but also thrown in young green jackfruit, ancho chilli, tart barberries and finished with a handful of pomegranate seeds for good measure.

When jackfruit is semi-ripe it is considered a vegetable rather than a fruit and, although it doesn’t have much flavour, it has a meaty texture and absorbs the flavours of the other ingredients. Ancho chilli is a dried poblano chilli and barberries (mountain grapes) are small, dried sweet and sour berries found in the wild here in the UK and together with the pomegranate seeds provide a punchy, fruity and warm kick. This dish is great on its own or throw a few prawns in for added protein.