Eggplant and Chickpea Stew with Lemon Millet

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the millet

   Rinse the millet in a sieve, first with cold water and then with hot water. Put it in a saucepan, add 500 ml water and 2 g salt. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook over low heat for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave covered for another 5 minutes to finish steaming.

   
2. 2

   Brown the eggplant

   Cut the eggplant into approximately 2 cm cubes. Heat a wide pan over medium-high heat and add 20 ml olive oil. Brown the eggplant in two batches for 5–6 minutes each, stirring occasionally, until dark golden on several sides and beginning to soften inside. Transfer it to a plate.

   
3. 3

   Sauté the onion and spices

   Finely dice the onion and mince the garlic. Add the remaining 10 ml oil and the onion to the same pan. Cook for 4 minutes, until softened and beginning to turn golden at the edges. Stir in the garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, coriander, and black pepper; stir for 30 seconds.

   
4. 4

   Simmer the sauce with the chickpeas

   Pour the chopped tomatoes and 150 ml water into the pan, add 2 g salt, and stir. Return the browned eggplant to the pan, bring to a gentle simmer, and cook uncovered for 15 minutes, until the sauce thickens and the eggplant is tender but not falling apart. Stir in the drained chickpeas and cook for another 5 minutes.

   
5. 5

   Finish and serve

   Chop the parsley. Stir the lemon juice and most of the parsley into the finished stew. Taste: the sauce should be pleasantly tangy, mildly smoky, and sufficiently salty. Fluff the millet lightly with a fork and serve it with the eggplant and chickpea stew, sprinkled with the remaining parsley.