This is a Moroccan stew filled with lots of different tastes, textures and spices. It is easy to make, using a few staple ingredients for the base and then seasoned with some different spices and dried fruits. It is perfect to make for both lunch, dinner or meal prep purpose. This Moroccan stew is both vegan and gluten free.
One of my most intense and memorable food experiences was when I went to Marrakech in Morocco. The food looked to “simple” and easy, but when taking a bite all the flavors just exploded in my mouth. It was a mix of everything you can imagine. Warm, intense, fresh, complex, easy, sweet and savory at the same time. I don’t know that much about Moroccan food, but what I can say is that they sure know how to combine the most unexpected ingredients and make it taste divine. This vegan eggplant/aubergine and chickpea stew is my take on a stew that I ate in Marrakech. It is easy to make, including a few staple ingredients and seasoned with different spices and dried fruits. To add some extra texture and favors to it I topped it with crunchy pomegranate seeds and almonds, fresh yogurt and some fresh green leafs. This stew is good to eat just as it is or to serve with cauliflower or regular couscous. Make it for lunch, dinner or meal prep purpose. It is both vegan and gluten free.
A few tips:
- I like to sprinkle my eggplant/aubergine with salt before cooking it. This removes excess the water and some of the bitterness. This will also make the eggplant softer and creamier when cooking it.
- Make sure to remove as much salt as possible from the eggplant/aubergine before cooking it. Otherwise the dish will turn out really salty.
- Make sure to fry the onion, garlic, ginger, chili, tomato paste and all the spices well before adding the rest of the ingredients. This will bring out more of the taste and make the spices more aromatic.
- You can adjust the amount of chili according to taste.
- Serve this dish just as it is, with cauliflower or regular couscous.
Ingredients for this Moroccan Chickpea & Eggplant Stew:
- Eggplant/Aubergine
- Yellow onion
- Garlic
- Red chili
- Fresh ginger
- Tomato paste
- Cinnamon
- Paprika powder
- Cumin
- Turmeric
- Cloves
- Saffron (optional)
- Water
- Lemon juice
- Crushed tomatoes
- Vegetable stock cube
- Chickpeas
- Raisins
- Dried apricots
- Salt
- Olive oil
- Pomegranate seeds
- Almonds
- Vegan Creme fraiche or yogurt
- Green leafs
Other recipes you might like:
- Lentil Curry (Vegan & Gluten Free)
- Thai Green Curry with Meatballs (Gluten Free & Low Carb)
- Red Curry with Prawns (Low Carb & Dairy Free)
- Chickpea Curry (Vegetarian & Gluten Free)
- Salmon Red Curry (Gluten, Dairy & Oil Free)
- Eggplant/Aubergine Rolls with Spiced Cauliflower Couscous Salad (Vegan, Gluten Free & Low Carb)
- Spicy Meatballs with Herb Yogurt Sauce (Vegan & Gluten Free)
- Spicy Oyster Mushroom Bowl (Vegan, Gluten, Grain Free & Low Carb)
Moroccan Chickpea & Eggplant Stew (Vegan, Gluten & Grain Free)
Ingredients
For the stew
- 1 Eggplant/Aubergine diced
- 1 Yellow onion finely chopped
- 2 Garlic cloves minced
- 1/2-1 Red chili minced
- 2 cm Fresh ginger minced
- 2 tbsp Tomato paste
- 2 tsp Cinnamon
- 3 tbsp Paprika powder
- 2 tsp Cumin
- 1 tsp Turmeric
- 1/4 tsp Cloves
- 1/2 tsp Saffron (can be omitted)
- 1/2 dl Water
- 1/2 Lemon juiced
- 2 cans Crushed tomatoes
- 1 Vegetable stock cube
- 1 can Chickpeas
- 1/2 dl Raisins
- 1/2 dl Dried apricots roughly chopped
- Salt
- Olive oil, to fry
For the topping
- 1/2-3/4 Pomegranate seeds
- 1 dl Almonds roughly chopped
- 4 tbsp Vegan Creme fraiche or yogurt
- Green leaves
Instructions
- Place the diced eggplants/aubergine in a plate and sprinkle with salt. Let it sit while you start to prepare the rest of the dish.
- Preheat a pan with some olive oil.
- Add the chopped yellow onion and fry for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the red chili and garlic and fry for another 1-2 minutes.
- Add the minced ginger and stir to combine, fry for 1 minute more.
- Add the tomato paste and stir to combine. Fry for 1 minute.
- Add cinnamon, paprika powder, cumin, turmeric, cloves and saffron (if using) and fry for another 1-2 minutes.
- Dry path the eggplants well to remove the salt. Add to the pan and stir together and fry for 1-2 minutes-
- Add the crushed tomatoes, water, lemon juice and stock cube and let it simmer on medium heat for 10-15 minutes.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas and add to the stew together with raisins and apricots. Let it shimmer for another 10 minutes or so.
- Place in bowls, top with pomegranate seeds, roughly chopped almonds, vegan Creme fraiche/yogurt and green leaves. Serve just as is, with cauliflower couscous or regular couscous.
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