Samah Dada
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Chana Masala Stuffed Roasted Eggplant
your new favorite dinner recipe. CHANA MASALA QUINOA STUFFED EGGPLANT.
I always find it to be so rewarding and fun when I'm able to develop recipes that are inspired by my Indian heritage, but have a unique and modern spin on them. This is a perfect example of that!
Chana masala gets mixed with quinoa which is then stuffed inside a delicious, roasted, jammy eggplant. The flavors are so gorgeous and comforting - it's seriously my perfect plant-based dinner that also happens to pack in protein too! It's an easy to make and healthy recipe that I know you'll keep coming back to. I topped mine with a green chutney and herbs to add a little bit of freshness! Hope you enjoy.
Ingredients
1 eggplant, halved, and scored
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
1 15.5 oz can chickpeaa, rinsed and drained
2 tbsp olive oil
1 (1-inch) knob fresh ginger, minced
1 red or yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp mango powder (omit if you don’t have)
Kosher salt to taste
1 15 oz can crushed tomatoes
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Cilantro, roughly chopped
1 1/2 - 2 cups cooked quinoa
green chutney, to garnish (recipe in my cookbook)
cilantro, to garnish
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle scored eggplants with olive oil and season with salt. Place face down on a lined baking sheet, and bake for about 30-40 minutes or until tender. When finished, set aside.
2. For the chana masala: Heat olive oil in the pan. Add curry leaves (can omit)!
3. When olive oil shimmers, add onions and cook until lightly brown and translucent. Add ginger and garlic and cook with onions for a few minutes.
4. Add the turmeric, cumin, cayenne, garam masala, mango powder if using, coriander, and salt. Cook until masala has roasted, now, add the canned, crushed tomatoes. Let the onions and tomatoes cook together for a few minutes until they reduce. Add a splash of water, cover, and simmer for about 5 mins.
5. Add the chickpeas. Cover and simmer for 15 mins. Add quinoa and incorporate — I used about 2 cups cooked but you can adjust the ratio to your liking. Finish with a squeeze of lemon and adjust w/salt.
6. Flip the eggplant skin side down and press into the flesh to create a home for the chana masala quinoa. Stuff, the top with chutney and cilantro. Enjoy!
