Chickpeas in Eggplant-Tahini Sauce

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* Exported from MasterCook *

 

Chickpeas in Eggplant-Tahini Sauce

 

Recipe By : The Pressured Cook ~ Lorna Sass

Serving Size : 5 Preparation Time :0:00

Categories : Pressure Cooker

Sda-Veg-Recipes2 (AT) Egroups (DOT) Com

Side Dishes Vegan

 

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

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2 cups dried chickpeas -- picked over and

rinsed, soaked overnight in ample water

to cover, or speed-soaked (see below)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup coarsely chopped onions

3 1/2 cups water

1/3 cup coarse bulgur

1 teaspoon caraway seeds

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes -- or more to taste

2 pounds eggplant -- peeled and cut into

1-inch chunks (see tip)

3 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste)

1/2 cup hot or boiling water

2 cloves garlic -- pushed through a

press (2 to 3)

2 teaspoons ground coriander seeds -- or more to taste

1 1/4 teaspoons salt -- or to taste

Tomato-Cucumber Salad

3 cups diced plum tomatoes (about 1 pound)

2 cups cucumbers -- peeled, seeded, and

diced (see Tip)

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

1 teaspoon salt

 

Drain the chickpeas and set aside.

 

Heat the oil in the cooker over medium-high heat. Cook the onions for 2

minutes, stirring frequently. Add the water, chickpeas, bulgur, caraway

seeds, and red pepper flakes. Set the eggplant on top.

 

Lock the lid in place. Over high heat, bring to high pressure. Lower the

heat just enough to maintain high pressure and cook for 16 minutes. While

the stew is cooking, blend the tomato paste and tahini into the hot water.

Set aside. Prepare the Tomato-Cucumber Salad by combining the tomatoes,

cucumbers, lemon juice, cilantro, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.

 

After 16 minutes, quick-release the pressure. Remove the lid, tilting it

away from you to allow any excess steam to escape. Set the cooker over

medium heat. Stir in the tomato paste mixture, garlic, coriander, and salt.

 

Stir well. If necessary, mash any remaining chunks of eggplant against the

sides of the cooker and blend them in to create a thick, creamy sauce. Add

more red pepper flakes and additional coriander, if needed. Cook over medium

heat until the garlic loses its raw edge, about 3 minutes. Ladle portions of

the stew into large, shallow bowls and sprinkle on a liberal portion of the

Tomato-Cucumber Salad. Pass the remaining salad at the table.

 

Serves 5 to 6

 

Tip:

If you use the long, think Japanese eggplant, you don't have to peel it. Opt

for seedless cucumbers or kirbies, which you don't have to seed.

 

Chickpeas In Eggplant-Tahini Sauce With Spinach

 

When you add the tomato paste, stir in about 3/a pound of thoroughly washed,

chopped fresh spinach. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat until the spinach

is tender, about 2 minutes.

 

 

Speed-Soaking Beans:

The pressure cooker offers the option of speed-soaking, a technique that

takes about 20 minutes and is roughly equivalent to soaking overnight. This

method is not completely reliable: If the beans are very fresh, they

sometimes begin to cook. (This is more a consideration with small beans than

with large ones.) However, the method is handy for a last-minute pre-soak:

 

Place the water and beans in the cooker, in a ratio of 3 parts water to 1

part beans. (If using an old-fashioned jiggle-top cooker and preparing a

large quantity of beans, add 2 teaspoons of oil per cup of dried beans to

control the foam that develops during speed soaking.)

 

Lock the lid in place. Over high eat, bring to high pressure.

 

For small beans, such as navies: As soon as high pressure is reached, turn

off the heat.

 

For medium beans, such as Great Northerns: cook for 1 minute over high

pressure.

 

For Large beans, such as chickpeas: Cook for 3 minutes under high pressure.

 

Turn off the heat and allow the pressure to come down naturally. Remove the

lid, tilting it away from you to allow excess steam to escape.

 

Drain and rinse beans and proceed as directed in the recipe.

 

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NOTES :

In this unusual dish, my starting point has been the Tunisian kitchen, where

chickpeas are a staple and tabil-a spice mix of caraway and coriander seeds

plug hot Chile pepper-is the much loved equivalent of India's curry blend.

 

As the chickpeas become tender, the eggplant is cooked down to a puree that

becomes the sauce. Bulgur wheat adds chewy substance and tahini (sesame geed

paste) gives the stew a nutty richness. Resist any temptation to omit the

Tomato Cucumber Salad garnish, which brings lively crunch and color to the

stew.