Eggplant, Chickpea & Tomato Curry

This post is sponsored by Muir Glen and TheFeedfeed, but all opinions are my own.

As far as pantry essentials go, a tin of tomatoes tops the list. They can be used in countless ways, from a simple three ingredient tomato soup (perfect for dunking a grilled cheese into,) to a sauce for pasta or poaching eggs, or in this case, upping the ante to include spices like garam marsala, cumin, turmeric, and cinnamon for an eggplant and chickpea curry.

The versatility of tomatoes means you can experiment, use your senses, (play some #kitchenimprov!) and have fun.And today through 2/12 you can get 2 28oz. Cans of Muir Glen Diced Tomatoes to use in whatever ways you can imagine. I stocked up at my local food coop, the Flatbush Coop on Cortelyou Road. It’s a great store because you don’t have to be a member (though you do save more if you join) like so many coops out there. It’s been a fixture in the neighborhood for decades and I love going there for all my basics & essentials–especially bulk dry goods and other things I can have on hand to pull together a quick one-off meal.

This warming one pot meal this is quick and easy to pull together. It also lasts a while in the fridge so makes perfect leftovers for taking to work or dinner another night. A crowd pleaser, this dish is perfect to put on the stove before a group arrives, make up some couscous or quinoa as friends sip pre-dinner drinks and then pile it all on to a platter and bring to the table.

28oz. Muir Glen Diced Tomatoes

1 eggplant

1 can chickpeas

1 onion

2-4 cloves garlic (depending on preference)

1-2 teaspoons garam masala (depending on preference)

½ teaspoon cumin (or more, depending on preference)

½ teaspoon turmeric (or more, depending on preference)

½ teaspoon cinnamon (or more, depending on preference)

¼ teaspoon coriander seeds (or more, depending on preference)

Lemon (for garnish)

Slivered almonds (for garnish)

Fresh parsley (for garnish)

OoO:

1) Do your prep: Wash and cube the eggplant. Line a colander with paper towel and toss the eggplant with a few palmfuls of salt and allow to sit and drain. Get this going up to an hour before the rest of the prep, but any amount of time is useful.

1b) Move on to the other prep: Finely chop the onion and garlic.

2) Add to a medium pot with a splash of olive oil and allow to sweat over a moderate heat. Add the spices and stir and allow to cook for a few minutes to develop flavor.

3) Drain and rinse the chickpeas and add them to the pot along with the cubed eggplant.

4) Add the can of Muir Glen diced tomatoes and rinse the can out and add that to the pot as well. Season lightly with salt & pepper and bring to a boil. Stir well, and reduce to a low heat and allow to cook until the eggplant is tender and the sauce has reduced to a desired thickness.

5) While the curry is cooking cook quinoa or your grain of choice for serving. Before serving the curry, taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.Serve with freshly chopped parsley, a squeeze of lemon, slivered almonds, and a dollop of yogurt (optional.)