Levantine · 50 min · serves 4

Braised Chickpeas with Eggplant (Msakaa)

Kept by The Bhook kitchen

Ingredients

• 400 g canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 large eggplant (about 400 g), cut in 2 cm cubes
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced
• 400 g canned diced tomatoes
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• small bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped (optional)

Method

1. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add eggplant cubes and fry, turning, until golden in spots and softened, about 8 min. Remove to a plate.
2. Add 1 tbsp olive oil to the pan. Add onion and sauté until soft and translucent, about 5 min. Add garlic; cook until fragrant, 1 min.
3. Stir in cumin and allspice. Let the spices bloom, stirring, for 1 min until you can smell them.
4. Add chopped tomatoes with their juice, scraping the pan bottom, then add chickpeas, eggplant, salt, and pepper. Stir to mix.
5. Lower the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer 25 min, stirring once or twice; the sauce should thicken slightly and eggplant should be very tender.
6. Taste and adjust salt. Scatter parsley over before serving.

Eggplant absorbs oil quickly; don't skimp, but avoid letting it turn greasy.