Roast Eggplant with Spiced Chickpeas and Tomatoes
Recipe adapted from Zaitoun, Yasmin Khan
This vegetable stew is delicious served warm the day it’s made, accompanied by flatbread to scoop up every bit of the luscious sauce. It is also great served the next day at room temperature, after the flavors have melded together and matured.
Ingredients
1 ½ pounds of eggplant
4 Tbl olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 pound fresh plum tomatoes, peeled and sliced or
14 oz. can of tomatoes with their juice
2 cups cooked chickpeas (or substitute a 14 oz. can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed)
2 tsp sugar
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp allspice
½ tsp freshly toasted and ground cumin
Extra virgin olive and chopped parsley to serve
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°.
Cut the eggplant into ¾ inch chunks. Place on a baking sheet, toss with olive oil, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and some grindings of black pepper. Bake for around 20 minutes until the eggplant is tender, adding additional oil if it seems dry.
Meanwhile, sauté the onion in 2 Tbl olive oil until soft and golden. Add the garlic and cook a few minutes more.
Add the fresh tomatoes with a half cup water, chickpeas, sugar and spice. Fill the tomato can with water and add that to the pot. Cover and cook 30 minutes.
Add the roasted eggplant to the pan and cook all together for 10 minutes, splashing in some hot water if the pan looks dry. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper.
If serving at room temperature, drizzle additional olive oil on top before serving.