Cumin-Scented Chickpeas with Roasted Eggplant and Rustic Tomato Sauce

Cumin is one of those spices that packs a punch with its nutty peppery flavor and is a very good source of iron.  I found that carrots, parsnips, and cauliflower pair well with cumin.  Cumin is the second most popular spice in the world after black pepper.  It was mentioned in the Bible not only as a seasoning for soup and bread, but also as a currency used to pay tithes to the priests. It is typically used in Mediterranean cooking from Spanish, Italian and Middle Eastern cuisine. It helps to add an earthy and warming feeling to cooking making it a staple in certain stews and soups.  Cumin seeds have traditionally been noted to be of benefit to the digestive system.

Serves 6
recipe from Vegetable Harvest
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1 small, elongated, Asian-type eggplant (about 4oz.)
2 cups canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup Rustic Oven-Roasted Tomato sauce
2 teaspoons cumin seeds

Preheat oven to 475f.  Trim and discard the ends of the eggplant.  Cut the eggplant lengthwise into 4 even slices, each about 1/2 inch thick.  Place the eggplant, cut side down, on a nonstick baking sheet.  Place on a rack in the center of the oven and roast, turning from time to time, until the eggplant is soft in the center, about 10 minutes total.

Remove from the oven and let cool.  Once cooled, cut crosswise into 1-inch strips.  Set aside.  Toast the cumin:  Place the cumin in a small, dry skillet over moderate heat.  Shake the pan regularly until cumin seeds are fragrant and evenly toasted, about 2 minutes.  Watch carefully!  They can burn quickly.  Transfer the cumin to a large plate and set aside to cool.  Grind to a fine powder in a spice grinder.

In a large bowl, combine the eggplant, chickpeas, and tomato sauce.  Toss to blend.  Add the cumin.  Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.

The Culinary Chase’s Note:  According to The Flavor Bible, flavor affinities for cumin include:
cumin + cayenne + coriander + garlic; cumin + chickpeas + yogurt; cumin + cinnamon + saffron; cumin + palm sugar + tamarind; cumin + tomatoes + turmeric.   Try adding some cumin to plain rice or with potatoes.  It’s a lovely way to spice up pork and is a marriage made in heaven with lamb.

By The Glass Tasting Note: Vegetarian doesn’t have to mean bland as this dish can attest to. The wine choice shouldn’t be either. Look for some big whites with some aromatic intensity here. Gewurztraminer is the fall back grape for this situation but I like Northern Rhone Viognier and White Cotes du Rhone or White Chateauneuf de Pape in this situation. That said, any number of white blends from Southern France will do the trick. Just make sure they have some of the classic Rhone grapes such as Viognier, Marsanne, Roussanne and Grenache Gris in the mix. For red wine lovers keep it light and fruity. Beaujolais will suffice but you might just want to opt for a lighter style Australian Shiraz – don’t worry about buying anything to serious here as the fruitier the better (even some of that residual sugar that the big wineries leave in their Shiraz won’t be a bad thing in this case).