Eggplant Chana Masala
Nutritional Info
- Servings Per Recipe: 8
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories: 219.2
- Total Fat: 8.4 g
- Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
- Sodium: 632.0 mg
- Total Carbs: 28.7 g
- Dietary Fiber: 7.3 g
- Protein: 11.3 g
View full nutritional breakdown of Eggplant Chana Masala calories by ingredient
Introduction
A lower-calorie, non-traditional twist on the warm Indian curry - but delicious nonetheless. This recipe uses eggplant cubes and a saucier tomato base to thin out the density of chickpeas, while still providing that tart-and-spicy heartiness unique to chana masala. Served with crispy tofu slices, it's vegan friendly, but it will please the omnivores, too. A lower-calorie, non-traditional twist on the warm Indian curry - but delicious nonetheless. This recipe uses eggplant cubes and a saucier tomato base to thin out the density of chickpeas, while still providing that tart-and-spicy heartiness unique to chana masala. Served with crispy tofu slices, it's vegan friendly, but it will please the omnivores, too.Number of Servings: 8
Ingredients
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2 medium yellow onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp Rogan Josh curry powder (http://www.savoryspiceshop.com/blends/rogan.html), or whatever warm red curry powder floats your boat
1 tbsp chili powder
1 whole eggplant, unpeeled, cut into 1" cubes
1/4 cup red wine
1-1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
1 28-oz can organic fire-roasted tomatoes
2 cups (or 2 cans, give or take) cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 whole tomatoes, in large chunks (use yellow or heirloom if you can - they provide a wonderful tartness)
1 block (roughly 1-1/2 lbs) extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed, cut into half-inch slices and/or diagonally into triangles (you should have 16 pieces total)*
Olive oil for frying
Salt to taste
Directions
1. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet, at least 3-4" deep, over medium heat.
2. Saute the chopped onions for a few minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic, and continue to saute until lightly browned.
3. Mix in the curry powder and chili powder. Fry until the curry is fragrant.
4. Add the eggplant cubes, mix until the eggplant is thoroughly covered in the spices, and saute until it starts to soften.
5. Deglaze the pan with the red wine, and cook until the alcohol has evaporated, about 1 minute.
6. Add the broth, and scrape the bottom of the pan to remove any remaining tasty charred bits.
7. Add the can of tomatoes, including the juice. Stir well and heat until simmering.
8. Stir in the chickpeas, and bring back to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, and then simmer gently, stirring often, until eggplant cubes are tender all the way through. (Tip: You can tell if the eggplant is cooked by its color; it gets darker and slightly translucent when it's done. Be careful to not overcook it, or it will get mushy.)
9. While the curry cooks, heat another tablespoon of oil on a frying pan over medium-high heat (not quite hot enough to smoke the olive oil).
10. Lay the tofu in a single layer on the pan, and sprinkle the top side with salt. Fry until golden brown, then flip and fry the other side.
11. When the eggplant is tender in the curry, add the fresh tomatoes. Cook until just heated through, just a minute or so.
12. Serve the chana masala warm, topped with 2 slices of tofu. Top with some chopped fresh cilantro. You can serve it over brown rice for a heartier meal, or by itself as more of a stew.
Makes 8 servings: 1 cup chana masala, topped with 2 tofu slices.
*Tip: Freezing and then thawing tofu before cooking it gives it a lighter, spongier texture and allows it to get crispier with less oil. Regardless of whether it's been frozen, make sure to firmly press the water out of the tofu before frying it, or the oil will splatter.
Number of Servings: 8
Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user TIGERLILY387.
2. Saute the chopped onions for a few minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic, and continue to saute until lightly browned.
3. Mix in the curry powder and chili powder. Fry until the curry is fragrant.
4. Add the eggplant cubes, mix until the eggplant is thoroughly covered in the spices, and saute until it starts to soften.
5. Deglaze the pan with the red wine, and cook until the alcohol has evaporated, about 1 minute.
6. Add the broth, and scrape the bottom of the pan to remove any remaining tasty charred bits.
7. Add the can of tomatoes, including the juice. Stir well and heat until simmering.
8. Stir in the chickpeas, and bring back to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, and then simmer gently, stirring often, until eggplant cubes are tender all the way through. (Tip: You can tell if the eggplant is cooked by its color; it gets darker and slightly translucent when it's done. Be careful to not overcook it, or it will get mushy.)
9. While the curry cooks, heat another tablespoon of oil on a frying pan over medium-high heat (not quite hot enough to smoke the olive oil).
10. Lay the tofu in a single layer on the pan, and sprinkle the top side with salt. Fry until golden brown, then flip and fry the other side.
11. When the eggplant is tender in the curry, add the fresh tomatoes. Cook until just heated through, just a minute or so.
12. Serve the chana masala warm, topped with 2 slices of tofu. Top with some chopped fresh cilantro. You can serve it over brown rice for a heartier meal, or by itself as more of a stew.
Makes 8 servings: 1 cup chana masala, topped with 2 tofu slices.
*Tip: Freezing and then thawing tofu before cooking it gives it a lighter, spongier texture and allows it to get crispier with less oil. Regardless of whether it's been frozen, make sure to firmly press the water out of the tofu before frying it, or the oil will splatter.
Number of Servings: 8
Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user TIGERLILY387.