Saffron Mosaic · Main dishes

Eggplant, Prune & Chickpea Tagine

Name: Eggplant, Prune & Chickpea Tagine
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 700 g Eggplant; 1 whole Onion; 3 cloves Garlic; 480 g Canned chickpeas drained; 80 g Pitted prunes; 400 g Canned crushed tomatoes; 180 ml Water; 3 tbsp Olive oil; 1.5 tsp Ground cumin; 0.5 tsp Ground cinnamon; 1 tsp Paprika; 4 whole Pita breads; 15 g Parsley; 0.5 whole Lemon; 0.75 tsp Salt; 0.25 tsp Black pepper

Roasted eggplant, chickpeas and soft prunes in a cumin-cinnamon tomato sauce, with warm pita to scoop the glossy stew.

70 minutes · Easy · 4 servings

Original house recipe · Not yet kitchen-tested

Ingredients

Eggplant700 g
Onion1 whole
Garlic3 cloves
Canned chickpeas drained480 g
Pitted prunes80 g
Canned crushed tomatoes400 g
Water180 ml
Olive oil3 tbsp
Ground cumin1.5 tsp
Ground cinnamon0.5 tsp
Paprika1 tsp
Pita breads4 whole
Parsley15 g
Lemon0.5 whole
Salt0.75 tsp
Black pepper0.25 tsp

Quantities describe recipe usage, not package sizes.

Allergen notes

Wheat in pita. Check bread and dried-fruit labels for sesame, milk, sulphites and other allergens.

Method

Roast the eggplant

Heat oven to 220°C (425°F). Cut eggplant into 3 cm chunks. Toss with 2 tbsp oil, 0.25 tsp salt and pepper on a large lined tray. Roast for 25–30 minutes, turning once, until browned and soft at the centre.

Prepare the sauce ingredients

While eggplant roasts, dice onion, mince garlic and halve prunes, checking for stray stones. Drain and rinse chickpeas, weighing 480 g after draining. Chop parsley. Warm remaining oil in a deep skillet over medium heat and soften onion for 7–8 minutes.

Simmer the chickpeas

Add garlic, cumin, cinnamon and paprika; stir for 30 seconds. Pour in tomatoes and measured water, then add chickpeas, prunes and remaining salt. Simmer uncovered for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. The prunes should soften but not dissolve.

Combine and warm bread

Fold roasted eggplant into the sauce and simmer gently for 8 minutes. Meanwhile wrap pita in foil and warm in the oven for 5 minutes. If the sauce becomes too thick, cover the skillet rather than increasing the heat.

Finish the tagine

Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and most of the parsley. Divide among four bowls, scatter with remaining parsley and serve with the warm pita. Use pita made without milk, egg or honey to keep this dish vegan. This is a casserole-style interpretation; no clay tagine is needed.

Roasting the eggplant first gives it colour without requiring several batches of pan-frying.

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