Eggplant Chickpea Spiced Quinoa. A bit sweet and so tasty. Terrific for any meal. Add an egg for breakfast.
Eggplant Chickpea Spiced Quinoa
Hi, it's Lois at Recipe Idea Shop, telling you about an awesome new recipe using eggplants, chickpeas and quinoa. It's so good I had it for supper last night and brunch today!
Robin Robertson's Chickpea and Eggplant Kibbeh from her cookbook, Vegan Planet (affiliate link), inspired this recipe. Robin's recipe is made with bulgur wheat, which I avoid because I don't eat wheat, so I substituted quinoa. I made a few other changes as well, including adding garlic. I'm sure Robin's recipe is super good because all her recipes are amazing.
Eggplant Chickpea Spiced Quinoa, So Filling!
Don and I found this meal to be satisfying, delicious and filling. And it's vegan. You don't even miss the meat. It is flavorful and a wee bit sweet from the cinnamon and allspice. I loved it.
This would be an excellent dish to take to a potluck supper. Serve it as a main dish entree or a side dish. We had a simple Crunchy Sweet Spinach Salad with it. What a delightful meal.
I liked it so much I had it for brunch today with an egg on top. Oh, my! That was outstanding. When you try it, be sure to comment on the recipe.
Make Ahead, Bake Later
Although you layer the ingredients and bake it for 30 minutes, there is nothing in it to hold it together, so it's more like a warm salad. It would be good served at room temperature as well. Sauté the onion, garlic and eggplant and assemble the dish ahead of time to bake later or simply make, bake and eat.
What You Need
I used a chef's knife, cutting board, measuring cups and spoons, large sauté pan, small covered pot, wooden spoon, and a rectangular baking dish. What would you use?
Eggplant Chickpea Spiced Quinoa Recipe
Eggplant Chickpea Spiced Quinoa
Ingredients
Quinoa Mixture
- 1 cup quinoa (rinsed)
- 2 cups water
- 1 15-ounce can of chickpeas drained and rinsed
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspooon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Eggplant Mixture
- 2 tablespoons canola or olive oil
- 1 large onion chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 3 small eggplants washed and chopped
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅔ cup pine nuts
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
Quinoa Mixture
- Boil the water in a medium pot.
- When boiling, reduce the heat to low,stir in the quinoa, and cover the pot. Continue simmering for about 15 minutes until the quinoa has absorbed all the water. Stir to fluff.
- Coarsley chop the chickpeas and add them to the cooked quinoa.
- Add the cinnamon, cumin, allspice and salt and pepper to the chickpea/quinoa mixture, and stir to combine.
Eggplant Mixture
- Heat the oil in a large skillet until hot.
- Add the onion and sauté for about 4-6 minutes until translucent.
- Add the garlic; stir.
- Add the eggplant, half the salt and half the pepper, and continue cooking (uncovered) for about 7-8 minutes until eggplant is soft.
- Stir in the pine nuts and lemon juice.
- Set aside.
To Assemble
- Lightly oil a 9" x 7" baking dish and spread half the quinoa mixture in it.
- Spread the eggplant mixture over the layer of quinoa.
- Top with the remaining quinoa mixture and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes until slightly browned and thoroughly heated.
Notes
Nutrition
Related Recipes
- Roasted Eggplant Quinoa Salad
- French Green Lentils
- Lentil, Rice & Fruit Salad
- Lentil Sweet Potato Salad
- Lentil Stuffed Roasted Eggplant
- Turkish Lentils with Lamb and Carrots
- Egyptian Lentils & Pasta
- Sweet Lentil Soup
Kathy acquired the blog, Recipe Idea Shop in 2024. She was raised on a farm in Arkansas where having a big garden and good food to eat was the norm. She shares recipes for homemade comfort food and new trending dishes.
Kathy began her blogging journey in 2011 when she founded PetticoatJunktion.com, a home décor blog focused on repurposing and upcycling furniture, and thrift store finds.