Sumac-Scented Eggplant and Chickpeas Recipe (2024)

Instead of frying the eggeplant try oven roasting @ *400 in a dry cast iron skillet till slightly chared. Great flavor and much the same texture!

is the eggplant peeled?

If you have access to bottled unsweetened pomegranate juice (from Sicily or Israel), you can make your own molasses. Just boil down the juice over high heat in a nonreactive saucepan by half to two-thirds to a syrupy liquid. Don't go too far in the reducing or it will solidify when cooled. Otherwise, just use fresh lemon juice and a pinch of sugar, keep in mind that the sumac is lemony, too.

Are we missing the step where the eggplant gets stirred back into the tomato sauce?

This dish was almost there when following the recipe. What put it over the edge for me was I added a pinch of Harrisa to add some somkey flavor's to it.

End result was better than expected, bright and flavorful. Chose to microwave the cubed eggplant in batches to help dehydrate it before browning so it would absorb less oil, seems to have worked . It concentrated the flavors. Lovely will make again many times. Thanks

what about tamarind paste and some honey instead of the pomegranate molasses, is this heresy ?

Why is the eggplant put on a baking sheet? Is the eggplant further roasted?Also, should the eggplant be salted for a bit prior to cooking? I always do, as I am very sensitive to the bitter juices. Some people experience them as "bruning"- it is a known genetic predisposition.

The addition of onions and more garlic are necessary. In fact, a similar but better tasting recipe is Martha Rose Schulman's "Fried Egglplant and Chickpeas with Mint chuntey"--much more flavorful. I'd recommend cooking the eggplant as in this recipe (cubed, and with far less oil absorbed) in Schulman's. The flavor profile in the other recipe is better.

Made last night with some adjustments. Really enjoyed it and sure it would be good as written too. Sous vide the cubed eggplant for an hour at 185. Drained and then sauteed in couple of TBSP EVOO and then proceeded once browned but just added everything to eggplant instead of taking out and then re-adding later. Had no sumac so used za'atar and generous squeeze of lemon. No scallions. Served over rice.

Thank you for flagging! We've updated the recipe to include adding eggplant in Step 3.

So it won't get soggy, Sandra. No need to keep it in a warm oven. It will warm through after being added to the chickpeas.

Is there any way to substitute for the pomegranate molasses? It’s hard to get, even by mail order, where I live (North Italy).

This was fine... kind of a "no-recipe recipe" that could have used more flavor. I added lots of herbs and yogurt to serve. My grocery store didn't have pomegranate molasses, so I used a bit of balsamic vinegar and a pinch of sugar.

First day seemed bland, but the flavors really melded and brightened after a couple days and will definitely make again, making baking eggplant instead of frying as suggested n

I agree with the commenters who suggest roasting the eggplant. I served it with farro and it was delicious

Very tomato forward. Thought it overwhelmed the sumac.

Overall great recipe1. I also oven roasted the aubergine first in high heat, then pan fried to gently crisp 2. I halved sumac and it turned out still a little bit sour due do pomegranate molasses and tomato combination3. I made a side of yoghurt with parsley, coriander and mint and a salsa verde

Delighted with this easy and very flavorful recipe. I didn’t have a 28oz can of tomatoes, so used a 12 oz can 1 very large fresh tomato. Maybe that reduction in tomato allowed the pomegranate molasses and sumac to shine through. Will be a regular in my house.

Also great served with couscous! (Or millet for a GF option.)

I followed others’ advice and upped the spices in this, adding cumin and chili to the sumac and garlic, and I served the mint on the side since the other person in my household doesn’t love it. We both liked the pomegranate molasses, though. I would definitely make this again!

Too sweet. Tomatoes overpowered all the spices.

Don’t do what I did and use less oil for the frying. The dish needs that full 1/2 cup of oil (and an aggressive amount of salt) to balance the acidity of the sumac and pomegranate molasses. I also thought a dash of allspice rounded the flavors nicely.

I've made this dish many times and it's a favorite at our house. If I'm out of pomegranate molasses, I make my own by boiling down pomegranate juice, available at most grocery stores, to the desired consistency.

This was quite tasty. I did roast the eggplant in the oven on a baking sheet rather than fry it. I love all those ingredients, but I thought the sauce was a bit too much, overpowering the eggplant and chickpeas. I would use less tomatoes next time.

Roasted my eggplant with cumin instead of frying. Added nine soaked and chopped dried figs, extra cumin, and an onion to the garlic/tomato base. Served with a tomato/cuke/red onion/feta salad, whole wheat pita, and watermelon for an excellent summer dinner. Scallions on top are key!

Good as written

I needed at least twice as much olive oil to brown and cook all the eggplant, and I have a super-burner on my stove. Next time I’ll roast the eggplant in the oil in the oven.

It's best to make sure that you're sumac isn't old; it can lose flavor otherwise. I've been buying smaller containers from Penzey's Spices and I'm noticing more flavor in recipes calling for sumac. We really enjoyed this recipe.

Roasted the eggplant at 425 for 30 minutes. Very tasty over basmati rice. Definitely needed the yogurt to offset the molasses and I really enjoyed the contrast of the crisp scallions.