Lentil and Eggplant Stew
A nice and healthy Turkish stew made with lentils, eggplants, and tomatoes. Harissa paste adds a nice spicy flavor to the stew.
- 1 eggplant (1 large eggplant or 2 small eggplants)
- 10 oz cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup green lentils
- 1 red onion
- 3 clove garlic
- 1 tbsp thyme
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 5 cup water (optional: replace 2 cups water with vegetable broth)
- 2 tbsp harissa paste (add another 1-2 tbsp for a spicier stew)
- 1 tsp lemon zest (optional)
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 cup greek yogurt (for topping the stew)
Prepare the ingredients:
- Finely dice the onion and mince the garlic. Set aside in a bowl and add the thyme.
- Cut the cherry tomatoes into halves.
- Cut the eggplant into bite-sized pieces.
Put the olive oil in a large saucepan and place over high heat. Add the onions, garlic, and thyme. Cook for 5-7 minutes until the onion softens. Then remove the mixture from the saucepan and set aside, leaving as much olive oil remaining in the saucepan as possible.
If necessary, add some more olive oil to the saucepan. Add the eggplant and cook on high heat until soft and golden brown. Add the tomatoes and cook for another couple minutes.
Add the onion mixture back into the saucepan. Add the lentils, water, salt, pepper, lemon zest, and harissa to the saucepan. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30-40 minutes (until the lentils are fully cooked). Add more water as needed if the stew boils down too much.
Serve the stew with a dollop of greek yogurt.
- Adapted from Julie Meyer's recipe here: https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/spicy-lentil-and-eggplant-stew-b6e1
- The base of this recipe comes from Ottolenghi’s cookbook ‘Simple’