Spicy Chickpeas & Eggplant Curry

This curry combines simple flavours to make a great tasting dish. I had no idea eggplant could pair so well with chickpeas until I tried this dish.

You will need:

1 large Eggplant cubed
4 Tomatoes cubed
1 (8 oz) can Chickpeas (Garbanzo beans) or 1 Cup soaked overnight and boiled
½ tsp Cumin powder
½ tsp Corriander powder
1 1/2 tsp Chilli powder (adjust to suit taste)
1 Onion chopped
2 Garlic cloves chopped
3 tbsp Olive oil

For the Garnish:
2 tbsp Olive oil
1 onion sliced
1 Garlic clove chopped
Sprigs of fresh coriander (cilantro)

Heat the 3 tbsp Olive Oil in a pan. Add the chopped garlic and onion, cook until soft. Add the spices and cook, stirring for a few seconds. Now add the cubed eggplant, stir and let cook till eggplant is soft. Add the tomatoes and chickpeas. Add ½ cup water and season with salt. Cover and and simmer for 15 minutes.

To make the garnish, heat oil in another pan and sauté the sliced onions and garlic. Fry until golden and crisp.

Serve the curry with hot rice, topped with the onion garnish and sprigs of cilantro. The onion garnish was out of this world, absolutely lip smacking!