Baked Gingered Chickpea Stew with Eggplant and Spinach

A variation of this textured chickpea stew can be found in every kitchen in North India, where it is a favourite for Sunday dinners. Very much like a baked chana masala with eggplant and spinach, kabli chana baigan tarkari is almost always served with pooris, but it is also very delicious served on a bed of rice with a green salad or a potato dish on the side. Like so many other Indian dishes I've come to love, this version is one I've modified from Yamuna Devi's Lord Krishna's Cuisine, a book I cannot recommend highly enough as an essential guide to authentic and delicious Indian cooking.

Baked gingered chickpea stew with eggplant and spinach

3/4 cups dried chickpeas
8 tablespoons ghee, or a mixture of butter and olive oil
1 medium eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
handful of green chillies, to taste, seeded and minced
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon asafoetida powder
2 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 cup water
1 pound fresh spinach, trimmed and coarsely chopped
small handful fresh coriander or parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
fresh ground black pepper

Soak the chickpeas overnight in water with a drop of yogurt whey or lemon juice. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour or until the chickpeas are tender. Drain and set aside.

Preheat an oven to 325°. Meanwhile, heat 6 tablespoons of the ghee or butter and oil mixture in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the eggplant and fry, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes or until the cubes are well-browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add the remaining ghee or butter and oil to the pan. When hot, add the ginger, chillies and cumin seeds and fry for 2 to 3 minutes or until the seeds turn dark brown. Toss in the asafoetida, wait a few seconds, then stir in the tomatoes. Add the coriander, paprika, cayenne and turmeric and cook until the tomatoes reduce to a thick sauce, about 10 minutes.

Add the water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the chickpeas, eggplant and spinach. Remove to a casserole dish, cover, and put in the preheated oven. Cook for 30 minutes. Stir in the parsley, garam masala, salt and pepper before serving.

Serves 4 to 6.