Moroccan Eggplant, Tomato, and Chickpea Stew

What?  Two posts in one day, you say?  Yes, friends, it is true.  I just made an oh-so-delicious stew that I could not wait until tomorrow to post about it.  Feast your eyes on this!

I kinda combined these two recipes and added my own flair:  Cafe Liz and Yummly

Ingredient List:

4 small chinese eggplants, cubed (no need to salt or peel unless you substitute regular biggie eggplant)
1 1/2 large green onions (I'm talkin' ones with a bulb the size of a golfball) or 1 medium onion or 4 regular green onions
4 garlic cloves
1 14-oz can of no salt added chickpeas
1 very large tomato, chopped in chunks
2-3 oz tomato paste
1 large carrot, sliced thick
1 cup reduced sodium veggie stock
2 teaspoons paprika
2 ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
dash of cayenne

Chop all veggies.  In case you did not already know, I like to chop.

Saute the onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes in a splash of veg stock (keep adding a splash here and there to keep pan from getting too dry).  Add the paprika, cumin, cinnamon, and cayenne then saute for another 2-3 minutes.

Add in all the veggies, chickpeas, and veg stock.  Stir, bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover, walk away.

 Look at all those colors!  It is too bad that it turns into this drab color when fully cooked:

Let simmer for 45 minutes, at least.  If it is too liquid-y, mix in a scoop or two of tomato paste and simmer with the lid off for a few minutes until it reaches desired consistency.  When ready, ladle into bowls and top with fresh cilantro.  (Note:  There are two things that are particularly striking about this dish, that go against everything I usually like about vegetables and cooking.  One, is that I do not normally like eggplant.  Two, is that I do not normally like any veggies to be cooked too much--I prefer crisp tender veggies that still have a nice crunch to them (which is why I often throw sensitive veggies into a soup at the very end so they do not get mushy).  But with this stew, I love the eggplant and I love it cooked as much as humanly possible.  The other ingredients (carrots, chickpeas, fresh cilantro) add enough firm texture to balance out the eggplant.  So trust me, even if you are weird like me, you will love this dish!)

I also got adventurous in an effort to make it even healthier.  I split the stew into two pots halfway through and added a bunch of mustard and turnip greens that I had on hand.  The end result was even uglier than the previous one, but the flavor was there!

The greens definitely overpowered some of the spice of the stew, so I only recommend doing this if you really like the taste of bitter greens.  Luckily, I do, so I am happy with both of these dishes.  If I had to choose one, though, I'd go sans greens.  Next time I will just make a side of sauteed greens or roast them in the oven for a crispy appetizer.

(And no, I did not eat two whole bowls of stew!  The second picture is a staged photo-op--the stew went straight into the tupperware to sit tight until tomorrow's lunch.)

I hope you enjoy this stew.  It is quite hearty and filling, but if you need something extra it would be lovely served over whole wheat couscous or another fun grain.  Enjoy!