Eggplant & Black Eyed Pea Curry

Ingredients

• Olive oil

  Salad or cooking

  1 tbsp or 14g

• Onions

  Raw

  1 large or 150g

• Garlic

  Raw

  3 cloves, minced or 9g

• Ginger root

  Raw

  1 tbsp or 6g

• Eggplant

  Raw

  1 eggplant, peeled (yield from 1-1/4 lb) or 458g

• Curry powder

  Spices

  1 ½ tbsp or 9g

• Fennel seed

  Spices

  ½ tsp, whole or 1g

• Salt

  Table

  1 tsp or 6g

• Pepper

  Spices, black

  1 dash or 0.1g

• Cayenne pepper

  Spices, red or cayenne

  ¼ tsp or 0.5g

• Lentils

  Raw

  1 cup or 192g

• Fresh cilantro

  Coriander leaves, raw

  ½ cup or 8g

• Vegetable Broth

  From bouillons. Low sodium

  5 cup or 1.2kg

• Cowpeas

  Common (blackeyes, crowder, southern), mature seeds, canned, plain

  4 cup or 960g

• Lemon juice

  Raw

  2 tbsp or 30g

• Tomato paste

  Canned, without salt added

  2 tbsp or 32g

Directions

1. Prepare the produce: chop the onion, mince the garlic, grate the ginger, and peel and cut the eggplant into 3/4-inch cubes. Roughly chop the cilantro, reserving a small handful for garnish.
2. Heat the oil in a 4-quart pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute. Add the eggplant, curry powder, fennel seed, salt, black pepper, and cayenne. Splash in a little vegetable broth and cook, stirring, until the eggplant begins to soften, 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Add the lentils, most of the cilantro, and the remaining broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook until the lentils are tender and the eggplant is very soft, about 35 to 40 minutes.
5. Rinse and drain the cowpeas. Stir them into the pot with the tomato paste and lemon juice. Simmer uncovered to thicken, or add a splash of extra broth to loosen, 5 to 10 minutes. Taste and adjust salt and spices.
6. Let the curry rest off heat for about 10 minutes for the flavors to meld. Serve topped with the reserved cilantro.