Chickpea and vegetable casserole

Credit: SBS Food

• serves

  4

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  25 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 1 eggplant (aubergine), diced
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• oil, for cooking
• 2 onions, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 red capsicum (pepper), diced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 small red chillies, seeded and finely diced
• 2 tsp ground turmeric
• 2 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp harissa paste
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 375 ml (13 fl oz/1½ cups) vegetable stock
• 400 g (14 oz/1½ cups) tinned chickpeas (garbanzos), rinsed and drained
• 50 g (1¾ oz) baby spinach leaves
• coriander (cilantro) leaves, to garnish

Instructions

Sprinkle the eggplant with salt and leave for 20 minutes or until moisture begins to bead on the surface. Rinse well and pat dry.

Heat a large heavy-based saucepan over medium–high heat. Add a splash of oil and cook the onion, carrot, capsicum and eggplant for 6–8 minutes, or until softened.

Add the garlic, chilli, spices and harissa paste and cook for 3–4 minutes or until fragrant, stirring occasionally. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.

Add the stock and bring to the boil. Season to taste with the salt and pepper, then add the chickpeas. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 10–12 minutes, or until the liquid thickens.

Add the spinach leaves and stir through until they wilt. Check the seasoning, garnish with the coriander leaves and serve with steamed rice.

Recipe from What’s For Dinner by Michele Curtis. Published by Hardie Grant Books.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.