Smart Recipe Kitchen

2026-04-08

# Recipe: Eggplant & Chickpea Tagine with Couscous

- topic: cooking_with_recipe - meal: Dinner - cuisine: Mediterranean - difficulty: Medium - date: 2026-04-08 ## Serves / Time / Why it works Serves 4 | ~40 minutes | Roasted eggplant plus warm spices create depth; chickpeas add protein; couscous steams in minutes. ## Ingredients - 1 large eggplant, 1-inch cubes - 3 tbsp olive oil, divided - 1 tsp kosher salt; 1/2 tsp black pepper - 1 small onion, diced - 3 cloves garlic, minced - 1 tsp ground cumin - 1 tsp ground coriander - 1/2 tsp cinnamon - 1/2 tsp smoked paprika - 1/4 tsp cayenne (optional) - 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes - 1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth - 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained/rinsed - 1/4 cup chopped dried apricots - 1 tbsp lemon juice - 2 tbsp chopped cilantro or parsley - Couscous: 1 cup whole-wheat couscous + 1 cup boiling water + pinch salt ## Method 1) Heat oven to 425°F. Toss eggplant with 2 tbsp olive oil, salt, pepper. Roast on a sheet 20–22 minutes until browned and tender. 2) In a pot, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium. Sauté onion 4 minutes; add garlic and spices, cook 1 minute. 3) Stir in tomatoes, broth, chickpeas, apricots; simmer 10 minutes. 4) Fold roasted eggplant into the pot; simmer 5 minutes more. Finish with lemon juice and herbs. 5) Make couscous: combine couscous, pinch salt, and 1 cup boiling water; cover 5 minutes, fluff. 6) Serve tagine over couscous. ## Tips - Salt eggplant cubes and let sit 10 minutes to draw moisture if you want extra browning. - Add toasted almonds or pine nuts on top for crunch. - For richer sauce, simmer uncovered last 5 minutes to reduce.