Evelyn's Eggplant Chili

My aunt brought down some eggplant chili a couple of weeks ago and I fell in love with it! I got the recipe from her so I could share :)

Ingredients:

• 1 medium-size eggplant, unpeeled, cut into 1/2 inch cubes



• 1 tbsp salt



• 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil



• 2 medium-size onions, cut into 1/4 inch diced



• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped



• 2 large green bell peppers, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/2 inch diced



• 1 can (35oz) Italian plum tomatoes



• 1 1/2lbs fresh ripe Italian plum tomatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes



• 2 tbsp chili powder



• 1 tbsp ground cumin



• 1 tbsp dried oregano



• 1 tbsp dried basil



• 1 tsp ground black pepper



• 1 tsp fennel seeds



• 1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley



• 19 oz can dark red kidney beans, drained and washed well



• 19 oz can chickpeas, drained and washed well



• 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill



• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Place the eggplant in a strainer adn sprinkle with the salt. Let stand for one hour. Rinse in cold water to remove the salt. Gently squeeze out some of the water, then pat dry with paper towel.

Heat 1/2 cup of the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the eggplant and saute until almost tender. Remove the eggplant to a very large pot.

Heat the remaining oil in the same pan and reduce heat to low. Saute the onions, garlic, and green peppers just until softened (about 10 minutes). Add to the large pot.

Place the large pot over low heat and add the canned tomatoes with their liquid, fresh tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, oregano, basil, pepper, fennel seeds, and parsley. Cook uncovered, stirring frequently, for 30 minutes.

Stir in kidney beans, chickpeas, dill and lemon juice and cook for another 15 minutes. The eggplant peel should be tender. Stir well and adjust seasonings to taste.

Nutritional Information (per 1 cup serving)

calories - 130.7
fat - 6.7
carbohydrates - 15.6 (net carbs = 10.7)
fibre - 4.9
sugar - 0.7
protein - 4.2

I add one scoop of Beneprotein to my 1 cup serving. That makes the calories 155.7 and the protein 10.2.