Roasted Eggplant with Tahini Yogurt Sauce and Crispy Chickpeas

Secret confession: When I made this dish, I scaled the proportions to what (according to the recipe) should have been two servings, assuming I'd have half for dinner and half for lunch the next day. Well I ate half of it... and then three-quarters... and finally just threw in the towel and devoured it all. It was that good. Plus hey, eggplant's good for you, right!? I did, however, have some of the tahini yogurt sauce leftover, which made a perfect dressing for a salad of spinach, tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, onion, chickpeas, and feta (I just added in a tiny bit more water to it to thin it out). And I made extra crispy chickpeas which I used for a creative version of ants on a log: celery with garlic herb laughing cow cheese spread topped with crispy chickpeas.

But on to the main attraction -- roasted eggplant with tahini yogurt sauce and crispy cumin chickpeas. Whenever I make eggplant, I cut it in the morning, sprinkle some salt on it and then press it in between paper towels while I'm at work. Supposedly this gets rid of any bitter taste the eggplant can have. Is it absolutely necessary? I'm not sure, but it's always resulted in delicious eggplant so I never want to risk it to find out what would happen if I didn't. In this case, the eggplant I had was quite large, so I cut in half and then sliced each half into slices about 3/4" thick.

When you're ready to start preparing the dish, the first thing you'll want to do is get your chickpeas in the oven to crisp up. If you only want enough chickpeas for the recipe, you can just do about 2/3 of the can, but these suckers are a delicious snack, so I'd recommend just doing the whole thing. Spray (or toss) generously with olive oil and then sprinkle on cumin, salt, and pepper. Roast for about 30-35 minutes at 425 degrees until nice and crispy.

As soon as you get the chickpeas in the oven, prep your eggplant. Spray the eggplant with olive oil (you shouldn't need anymore salt if you pre-pressed the eggplant) and pop that in the oven as well, roasting for 30 minutes, flipping once halfway through. 

While the chickpeas and eggplant are roasting, you can mix the sauce. Combine plain greek yogurt, tahini (which is sesame paste; most grocery stores carry it but if you can't find it check your local health food store), garlic, and lemon juice. Then slowly stir in water until the sauce is your desired consistency (you want it thick enough that you can dollop it on to the eggplant without it running off the sides). For me, this was about 1.5 tablespoons. 

After your eggplant is done roasting, top each slice with a generous amount of yogurt tahini sauce, several crispy chickpeas, and a sprinkle of parsley. Mmm mmm mmm... another winner inspired by the Smitten Kitchen cookbook! Consider making this amazing recipe as a vegetarian option for Lent or Meatless Monday or use it as a side dish if you want a heartier meal. 

Roasted Eggplant with Tahini Yogurt Sauce and Crispy Cumin Chickpeas

(Makes 1 large serving; 2-3 side dish servings)

1 large eggplant, halved and then cut into 3/4 inch slices
3/4 tsp garlic
1/4 c yogurt
1.5 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp lemon juice
1.5 tbsp water
2/3 can of chickpeas
Cumin
Salt and pepper, to taste
Olive oil
Parsley

Press salted eggplant slices in between paper towels for at least 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 425. Spray or toss chickpeas with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and cumin. Roast approximately 30-35 minutes until crispy. 

Lightly spray or drizzle eggplant with olive oil. Roast for 25-30 minutes, flipping once halfway through. 

Mix yogurt, tahini, and lemon juice. Slowly add water until you've reached the desired consistency. 

Assemble by topping each eggplant slice with a dallop of tahini yogurt sauce, several chickpeas, and parsley. Sprinkle with salt and pepper if desired.