Grilled Eggplant with Spicy Chickpeas & Walnut Sauce

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion
• 1 red chili
• 2 cm ginger
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• 400 g chickpeas
• 200 g tomatoes
• 5 tbsp water
• ½ lemon juice
• 2 eggplant
• 200 g Greek yogurt
• 1 garlic clove
• 25 g walnuts
• ½ cup fresh cilantro
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 pinch black pepper

Steps

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until soft and lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
2. Stir in the chopped red chili, grated ginger, and ground cumin. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the chickpeas, tomatoes, and water; bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
3. Slice the eggplant lengthwise or into rounds. Lightly brush both sides with olive oil, season with salt and pepper.
4. Grill the eggplant slices on a grill pan over medium-high heat until golden and tender, flipping once.
5. In a small bowl, combine the Greek yogurt with minced garlic, most of the chopped walnuts, and most of the chopped cilantro. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Arrange the grilled eggplant slices on a platter. Spoon the warm chickpea mixture over the eggplant.
7. Drizzle the walnut-yogurt sauce over the chickpea-topped eggplant. Garnish with the remaining walnuts and cilantro before serving.