Food Recipes Eggplant-and-Tomato Masala With Chickpeas 4.1 (9) 1 Review Delicious dinner alert! This hearty, Indian-inspired vegetarian recipe comes together in under 30 minutes and still manages to build intense flavor. That’s because you’ll layer in seasonings twice: First, cumin, mustard seeds, and coriander, which stew with the onions and eggplant, and then garam masala and cilantro stems, which simmer up with canned chickpeas and fire-roasted tomatoes. Shopping tip: Japanese eggplants are longer and thinner than the Italian variety, and tend to be less bitter. By Julia Levy Julia Levy Julia Levy has been testing and developing recipes for over eight years. She has worked in the culinary arts since 2009 as a humble line cook and intern. In her 12-plus years in the food industry, she has held various positions such as prep cook, food runner, and test kitchen assistant. She began her recipe-developing career at Oxmoor House and currently creates recipes for Real Simple, among many others. Highlights: * Received her Bachelor's of Science in Culinary Nutrition from Johnson & Wales University * Received an Associate of Occupational Studies, Culinary Arts from The Culinary Institute of America * Published at Southern Living, HuffPost, New York Daily News, Health, Cooking Light, and more Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on October 7, 2019 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Antonis Achilleos Hands On Time: 20 mins Total Time: 25 mins Yield: 4 serves Ingredients 1 cup uncooked basmati rice 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 teaspoon mustard seeds ½ teaspoon coriander seeds 1 medium white onion, halved and thinly sliced (about 2 cups) 2 medium Japanese eggplants (about 12 oz.), cut into ½-in. rounds 1 14.5-oz. can chickpeas, undrained 1 14-oz. can fire-roasted diced tomatoes ½ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro stems, plus 2 Tbsp. leaves for serving 1 teaspoon kosher salt ½ teaspoon garam masala ¼ cup plain whole-milk yogurt Directions Rinse rice until water runs clear; drain. Transfer to a saucepan and add 1½ cups water. Bring to a boil over high; reduce heat to medium and simmer, covered, until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand, covered, for 3 minutes. Fluff with a fork. While rice cooks, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large, high-sided skillet over medium-high. Add cumin, mustard, and coriander; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and golden, about 8 minutes. Push onion mixture to sides of skillet. Add eggplants and remaining 2 tablespoons oil to center of skillet; cook, undisturbed, until eggplants are lightly browned on 1 side, about 2 minutes. Add chickpeas with their liquid, tomatoes, cilantro stems, salt, and garam masala to skillet and stir to combine. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, stirring occasionally, until eggplants are tender, about 5 minutes. Serve eggplant-and-tomato masala over rice, garnished with yogurt and cilantro leaves. Rate it Print