This healthy Eggplant and chickpea stew is also known as M’nazaleh. It is perfect for vegans and can be enjoyed alone or served with bread or a protein. And it has my favourite vegetable in it – eggplant – which I really love
This recipe is so easy to make – just 4 ingredients required.
The eggplant is traditionally fried, which soaks up a lot of oil. The result is delicious! You can, however, roast the eggplant instead. Roasting the eggplant lengthens the cooking time.
Ingredients
- 3 eggplants cut into chunks (3-4cm)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 small onions roughly chopped
- 1 can tomatoes diced (400g)
- 1 can chickpeas (400g)
Cook’s Note
*Prepare this dish without the garnishes up to 2 days ahead. Store in an airtight container covered in the fridge.
*You can prepare the eggplant the day before
*Keep in mind if the eggplant is fried, the stew will be slightly oily but delicious
Step 1. Peel and dice eggplants into chunky pieces. Season with salt
You can do this in two ways;
Deep Fry – Heat vegetable oil on medium heat. Working in batches, deep-fry eggplant 3-5 minutes until golden in colour. Remove onto a paper towel-lined plate.
Or
Coat eggplants with 1/2 cup olive oil. Bake in a preheated oven (190°) for 35-40 minutes or until golden.
Step 2. Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. sauté the onion till soft (approximately 10 minutes). Add the can of tomatoes and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer uncovered, stirring every now and then, 5-7 minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly. Add freshly ground pepper and season with salt.
Step 3. Rinse chickpeas from canning liquid. Add the strained chickpeas and cook for a further 5-10 minutes. Add eggplant to the sauce and gently mix through. Remove from heat.
Serve warm or at room temperature. Garnish with sesame seeds or finely chopped chives.
Serves 4 – 6 people as a side dish
Chickpeas were originally cultivated in the Middle East and have now become popular around the world. They have so many health benefits. Read more here. If you love chickpeas, check out my other recipes; All things Hummus, Fatteh -layers of chickpeas and fried bread in a garlic yogurt and tahini sauce,
eggplant and chickpea stew
4 ingredients
vegan
healthy
stew/casserole
Sahtan – Enjoy In Good Health
