Eggplant & Chickpea Curry

I ran into my wonderful ex-roommate, Carolina alumna, Caroline at our hot yoga sculpt class this past weekend (that's yoga + heat + weights, people). We were 9 months overdue on life updates, so we decided to get together for dinner to catch up. I hosted at my palace, and she supplied the Pinot.

She told me about her recent hiatus from work where she quit her job, went traveling through South America with her boyfriend, and came back to work part time for another company. I've always admired how she makes traveling such a priority in her life. Coincidentally, today Nathan (my boyfriend) and I booked our flights down to Santa Barbara for Christmas, and a weekend excursion to Seattle in November. I love having things to look forward to. 

Gratitude journal entry: I'm grateful for vacations. However long or short, close or far. To relinquish responsibility and get to spend quality time with my people has become more precious to me as I get older. 

Tonight I made eggplant and chickpea curry over quinoa. Eggplant found its way into my heart late in life, but it quickly became one of my favorite vegetables. It soaks up whatever flavor you cook it in, and has the most tender texture. But to be real, this recipe had me at dates. 

There's my messy plate of curry! Yum. I can't wait to eat it again tomorrow. Recipe inspiration from Be Well By Kelly.

Eggplant & Chickpea Curry

1 cup quinoa

1 eggplant, diced into 1" cubes

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and dried

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons coconut or olive oil

1 onion, diced

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 can coconut milk

3 tablespoons curry powder

3 dates, chopped

2 tablespoons raisins

squeeze of lemon

salt and pepper

*sriracha

*cilantro

Preheat oven to 425. On a baking sheet covered with tin foil, toss eggplant and chickpeas in oil and spread out evenly. Roast for 15-20 minutes, until eggplant is soft. 

In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup quinoa and 2 cups water to a boil. Cover, and lower heat to a simmer for 15 minutes. Cover until ready to serve. 

In a large skillet, sauté onions until translucent. Add coconut milk, curry and dates. Once this cooks down a bit, 3-4 minutes, stir in eggplant and chickpeas, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve over quinoa with sriracha and cilantro. I didn't do this, but chopped nuts wouldn't have been a bad addition, either.