Greek Braised Eggplant

By The Mediterranean Dish · 75 min

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 400°F. Put the eggplant cubes in a colander over a large bowl or in the sink, salt them generously, and leave for about 20 minutes. Rinse the eggplant and pat it thoroughly dry.
2. In a large oven-safe braiser or Dutch oven, heat the 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add the chopped onion, diced green bell pepper and chopped carrot and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring regularly.
3. Stir in the minced garlic, bay leaves, sweet paprika, ground coriander, dried oregano, ground cinnamon, ground turmeric, black pepper and a dash of kosher salt. Cook for 1 minute, stirring, until fragrant.
4. Add the eggplant cubes, chopped tomatoes, chickpeas and the reserved chickpea liquid, and stir to combine.
5. Bring the stew to a rolling boil and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often.
6. Cover the pot and transfer it to the oven. Cook for about 45 minutes, checking once or twice; if the stew looks dry, stir in about 1/2 cup water at a time, until the eggplant is fully cooked and very tender.
7. Remove from the oven and drizzle generously with extra virgin olive oil. Garnish with parsley or mint if using. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Summarized from The Mediterranean Dish's video. Watch it for the details.