Dried chickpeas (or a chickpea-fava blend) soak overnight. Drained, blitzed with onion, leek, a heaped pile of fresh parsley AND coriander (the Palestinian style is herb-heavy and notably green), garlic, ground cumin, ground coriander, salt and Aleppo pepper. Left to rest. Baking soda mixed in right before frying. Shaped into small patties or balls; pressed into sesame seeds; deep-fried until amber. Stuffed into khobz with tahini sauce, salad and pickled vegetables.
Tiny aubergines (the small Middle-Eastern variety) blanched in salted water 6 minutes until just tender. Drain. Salt and pressed under weight 4-6 hours to drain bitter water. Each aubergine slits lengthwise (don't cut all the way through). A walnut-garlic-red-pepper-paste mixture stuffs into each slit. The stuffed aubergines pack tightly into a sterilised glass jar; covered in olive oil to fully submerge. Sealed and left at room temperature for 7-21 days. The oil takes on the spice; the aubergines mellow.
The musakhan filling: red onions (LOTS, for the dish to work, you need 4-5 large onions) slowly caramelise in olive oil for 25-30 minutes until deep gold and sweet; sumac is stirred in generously (a tablespoon at minimum); shredded cooked chicken is folded through with toasted pine nuts. Markook bread (thin Palestinian flatbread, sold at Middle Eastern shops; substitute thin lavash or large flour tortillas) is cut into rectangles. A spoon of filling is spread on each; rolled tightly; sealed seam-side-down. Brushed with olive oil; either baked at 200°C for 12 minutes OR pan-toasted in a dry hot pan for 2 minutes per side. Served warm with lemon and yogurt.