Greek-Style Braised Eggplant Recipe

Ingredients

• Eggplant

  Raw

  700g

• Salt

  Table

  1 dash or 0.4g

• Olive oil

  Salad or cooking

  1 tbsp or 14g

• Onions

  Raw

  1 large or 150g

• Green bell pepper

  Sweet, green, raw

  1 medium or 119g

• Carrots

  Raw

  1 medium or 61g

• Garlic

  Raw

  6 cloves, minced or 18g

• Bay leaf

  Spices

  2 tsp, crumbled or 1g

• Paprika

  Spices

  1 tsp or 2g

• Coriander seed

  Spices

  1 tsp or 2g

• Oregano

  Spices, dried

  1 tsp, ground or 2g

• Cinnamon

  Spices, ground

  ¾ tsp or 2g

• Turmeric

  Spices, ground

  ½ tsp or 1g

• Pepper

  Spices, black

  ½ tsp or 1g

• Tomatoes

  Red, ripe, cooked, stewed

  800g

• Chickpeas

  garbanzo beans, bengal gram, mature seeds, raw

  30 oz or 851g

• Parsley

  Raw

  100g

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Place eggplant cubes in a colander over a large bowl or directly over your sink, and sprinkle with salt. Set aside for 20 minutes or so to allow eggplant to "sweat out" any bitterness. Rinse with water and pat dry.
3. In a large braiser, heat 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil over medium-high until shimmering but not smoking. Add onions, peppers, and chopped carrot. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring regularly, then add garlic, bay leaf, spices, and a dash of salt. Cook another minute, stirring until fragrant.
4. Now add eggplant, chopped tomato, chickpeas, and reserved chickpea liquid. Stir to combine.
5. Bring to a rolling boil for 10 minutes or so. Stir often. Remove from stove top, cover and transfer to oven.
6. Cook in oven for 45 minutes until eggplant is fully cooked through to very tender. (While eggplant is braising, be sure to check once or twice to see if more liquid is needed. If so, remove from oven briefly and stir in about 1/2 cup of water at a time.)
7. When eggplant is ready, remove from oven and add a generous drizzle of Private Reserve EVOO, garnish with fresh herbs (parsley or mint). Serve hot or at room temperature with a side of Greek yogurt or even Tzatziki sauce and pita bread.
8. Recipe by: The Mediterranean Dish (source: https://www.themediterraneandish.com/braised-eggplant-recipe-greek-style/print/14099/)