Turkish Eggplant and Chickpea Bake in Tomato Sauce Recipe
A vegetarian bake where slices of eggplant are layered with chickpeas in an aromatic tomato sauce. In Turkish homes, similar dishes are often served for meatless lunches or dinners, usually with rice or bread. The flavors are deep and slightly smoky, a bit like ratatouille but with distinctly Turkish spices.
This dish combines the comfort of a home-style bake with the aromatic spices of Turkish cuisine. The eggplant becomes silky and absorbs the smoky tomato sauce, while the chickpeas add protein and make the meal satisfying without any meat.
Chef's tips
Salt the eggplant in advance and pat it dry thoroughly—this helps remove bitterness and prevents it from soaking up too much oil. Don’t rush frying the vegetables for the sauce; gently sautéing the onion and pepper builds a deeper, sweeter flavor.
How to serve
Serve as a main course with rice, bulgur or flatbread. For a lighter meal, pair it with a simple green salad or a yogurt-based salad like cacik or tzatziki-style cucumbers with garlic and herbs.
Ingredients
- eggplant medium - 2 pieces
- canned chickpeas drained - 240 g
- canned chopped tomatoes 1 can - 400 g
- onion medium - 1 piece
- garlic - 3 cloves
- red bell pepper - 1 piece
- tomato paste - 1 tablespoon
- ground cumin - 0.5 teaspoons
- sweet paprika powder - 1 teaspoon
- hot paprika powder optional - 0.25 teaspoons
- vegetable oil for frying the eggplant - 4 tablespoons
- olive oil for the sauce - 1 tablespoon
- salt to taste and for sprinkling the eggplant -
- black pepper to taste -
- flat-leaf parsley chopped, for serving - 2 tablespoons
Preparation
- Wash the eggplants and cut them into slices about 1 cm thick. Spread them out on a board or plate, lightly salt on both sides and set aside for 15 minutes until they release some liquid. This will make them less bitter.
- In the meantime, prepare the sauce. Peel the onion and dice it finely, deseed and dice the pepper, and finely chop the garlic.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the onion and fry for 3–4 minutes, until it softens and becomes slightly translucent. Add the pepper and fry for another 4–5 minutes, until it softens.
- Add the garlic, cumin, sweet and hot paprika and fry for about 30 seconds, stirring, until the spices become fragrant. Add the tomato paste and fry for 1 more minute.
- Pour in the canned tomatoes, add the drained chickpeas, season with salt and pepper. Simmer over low heat for 10–15 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
- Quickly rinse the eggplant slices under running water to remove excess salt and pat them dry with paper towels.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan over medium heat. Fry the eggplant slices in batches for 2–3 minutes on each side, until they soften and are lightly browned. Add more oil if needed. Transfer the fried slices to a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess fat.
- Preheat the oven to 190°C (top and bottom heat). In an ovenproof dish, arrange a layer of eggplant slices, then some of the chickpea sauce, then again eggplant and sauce, until you use up all the ingredients. Finish with a layer of sauce.
- Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake for another 5–10 minutes, until the top is lightly browned and the sauce is bubbling around the edges.
- After removing from the oven, let the bake rest for 5–10 minutes to cool slightly and set. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.
Storage
Zapiekanka dobrze się odgrzewa, a smaki się przegryzają. Możesz ją zamrozić w porcjach; przy podgrzewaniu w piekarniku przykryj folią, aby nie wyschła.
