Eggplant Tomato Stew

I grew up on this eggplant tomato stew. My mom used to make it all the time, and in fact, she still does. She calls it “givetch”. It’s such a wonderful dish as is, as a spread on a sandwich, as a side dish, as a main dish with some crunchy tofu or tempeh on top, or on top of rice or mashed potatoes. So many options—I love the diversity of this dish.

You can spice it up by adding a spicy pepper or you can make it mild without.

This is a great dish to make ahead of time and keep in the fridge. If you meal prep, this dish is perfect for it because of how many ways you can mix it up. It actually gets better with time. (No more than a week in the fridge).

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated

1 tablespoon fresh turmeric root, grated (optional)

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 eggplant, cubed

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 pepper flakes

1 tablespoon sweet paprika

box of chopped tomatoes, 26.46 oz / 750 g - or you can use fresh tomatoes

1 teaspoon maple syrup.

+salt

+pepper

+fresh parsley for serving

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a pan and add onion, salt & pepper, sauté for a few minutes, then add red bell pepper, sauté for a few minutes, then add ginger, turmeric and garlic. Keep sautéing and add eggplant, pepper flakes and sweet paprika. Mix until fragrant but not burnt, you may need to add a little splash of water to release bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the chopped tomatoes, a little bit more salt and pepper & maple syrup, lower the heat to simmer and cook for at least an hour and a half,(with the lid on) or until the eggplant is completely soft.

Store in a container in the fridge for up to a week.