Since becoming a pescaterian I have re-fallen in love with eggplant!  I’ve been trying different recipes and came across this Lebanese Maghmour. It’s garlicky, thick, slightly smokey and incredibly velvety.

Perfect with rice, salad, as a dip or on its own.

So good I had to make twice in 1 weekend 😂

I recently got an Instant Pot so I figured I should put my crockpot into semi retirement.  And I’ve swapped my Nutribullet for a big mouth food processor. I also got a hand held emulsion blender.  Oh and I got a crank chop – by far the best kitchen tool I’ve tried!

After years and years of not having much kitchen equipment I now have so many options!   Safe to say, I’m looking for new recipes to try with all my new tools!

That said I didn’t use ANY of those to make this dish.  I also put a little more of a desi spin on it by using haldi (tumeric) and dhannia (coriander powder). They add colour and thickness to stew/curry like dishes respectfully.

What you’ll need:

– 2 large eggplants, cut into 1-2 inch pieces (leave the skin on)

– 1 (15 oz) can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained

– 1 (15 oz) can of diced tomatoes, including juice

– 1 tbsp. tomato paste

– ½ – 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided

– 1 large onion, diced

– 8-10 cloves of garlic, minced (you can also use garlic powder to taste)

1 tsp. Smoked Paprika

– 1-2 cups water

– Tumeric, coriander powder, salt and pepper to taste/likeness

What you’ll do:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Lay non stick foil onto a baking sheet
2. To a large bowl add the chopped eggplant and add in enough olive oil to coat the eggplant. Mix with your hands to coat evenly. Lay on the baking sheets and roast until done, about 15-25 minutes. Turning half way through. When done, remove from the oven, lightly salt and set aside.
3. In a large pot add another portion of the EVOO. Add the onions and cook until they become transparent, make sure to stir constantly to avoid sticking.  Add a few pinches of salt and pepper to taste and then add garlic. Stirring constantly for about 1-3 minutes.
4. Add the eggplant cubes, drained chickpeas, tomatoes, tomato paste,  smoked paprika and about half of the water. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer and cook for about 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding more water, if the mixture gets dry. I like to try the dish and add salt/pepper/EVOO as necessary. I also added tumeric and coriander (1/2 teaspoon here and there as needed).
5. Serve and enjoy!  You can store the dish in the fridge for 5 days (but it will probably be finished before that 😋)