Moroccan-Spiced Eggplant and Tomato Stew

I’ve made this three times now and love it. I use the long Japanese eggplants because they have less seeds. I had some Marrakesh Market Blend spice from the Spice House and just use that, both on the eggplant before roasting and in the stew. My husband won’t eat hot food so I used a mild harissa. I like it cold just as much as warm and can’t help sneaking a few spoonfuls from the fridge. I could make this once a week easily!

This was so delicious! I sent it to all my cooking friends. As a New Orleans born spice loving North Africa loving human, this was a dish created for the likes of me. I added ground turkey that I had already sautéed In with the baked eggplant. Had it over brown rice. Spicy and exceptional.

I’ve never posted a comment on a recipe before. However, I want to do so now. A friend gave me 8 tomatoes from her garden — too few to can. So I looked for tomatoes, eggplant recipes — just for ducks.

I made this. Fire roasted my own tomatoes along with the eggplant. Used Birch syrup from Alaska instead of Maple syrup (all I had) and Sriracha instead of Hirissa sauce (Google said I could, so there).

OMG. This is delicious. Sweet, sticky, savory. Not too spicy — just perfect. Definitely recommend. Over rice? Yes. I just ate it as is — no quinoa or rice or cauliflower rice. Just plain, with cilantro. So good. Yum.

Wow! I just made this and it is soooo delicious! The flavors and spices compliment each other so well. Definitely making this again! My new favorite eggplant dish!

I have made this recipe twice now. Both times served with white garlic rice. The first time I made it as written, and it was absolutely delicious. The second time, I subbed the harissa for sriracha, added two chopped zucchini’s and a block of diced sriracha tofu from Trader Joe’s and it was still magnificent. It’s officially part of the rotation!

Wonderful with brown lentils or Chana dal. The base recipe is just strong and well balanced so that no matter how you make it, it tastes wonderful. Thank you for sharing!

It is unreal how delicious this is!! We can’t wait to make it again, and love having another tasty option for when vegetarian/vegan friends are visiting

This will definitely be a repeat dish! I used a couple fresh tomatoes instead of the canned tomatoes. The eggplant is so easy to prepare and very tasty with the smoked paprika.

This is excellent! Very flavourful and comes together easily and quickly. I did make some changes. I added 1 red shepherd pepper diced with the onions and added 2 small zucchini with the tomatoes. Going by other comments I used only 1 TBSP of harissa powder. The heat was just right. I used a full can of chickpeas as I wasn’t serving it over anything. Husband loved it and I will definitely make this again.

I made this. The recipe is nice but 2 tbsp of harissa paste (I used trader joes) was way too spicy I calmed it down with an entire can of coconut milk which helped but I saw one reader who used just one tsp. I think I’d do thay next time.

Absolutely delicious. This was a great way to use the fresh eggplant and fresh tomatoes from our garden. We added a teaspoon of ras el hanout spice and sultanas to give it more flair. Next time I’d probably omit the maple syrup because I didn’t think it needed to be sweetened. Loved it, will make it again.

This was easy to make and so delicious! I used half the harissa and served it over farro. Perfect!

At the moment, my garden is overflowing with eggplant & tomatoes. I’m so happy to have found this recipe! It was AMAZING! It comes together quickly too. I included the chickpeas and my husband said it was the first time he’d ever liked the taste of them. The sauce is rich and full of different flavors – spicy, a bit of sweet, tangy, good textures too. I’ve made it twice in the last 10 days. Love it!

Amazing! Love this recipe. Made the harrisa at home. Added the chickpeas. Ate some for leftover the next day and loved it just as much!

This is super delicious and easy to make. I used red wine instead of water when I was cooking the tomatoes down. I didn’t pair it with rice; instead; I put it over toast.

Wondering what to do with my eggplant, rather than frying it, and having a boatload of fresh tomatoes, I made this. It is delicious. It tastes so healthy! I did peel my eggplant and tomatoes. Some of my tomatoes were Brandywines, a wonderful heirloom tomato. All together, savory and fresh, worth making again. Just ate it as a stew.

So tasty! I cooked the eggplant in my air fryer instead of the oven and it took about 20 minutes at 400. Perfect way to use a bunch of eggplant I got from a farmer’s market. I added a bit of chopped spinach at the end as well and it blended in seamlessly.

I thought this recipe was good, but nothing out of the ordinary. I doubt I’ll make it again.

I only used 1 tsp of harissa paste, but it was right to my liking. I use 1 can of chickpeas, which is more than 1 cup. Very delicious. Thank you for sharing.

I’ve been making this at least once a month, it is so good! I add zucchini to it sometimes and will either serve with rice or couscous. Absolutely delicious!

Thank you for sharing this beautiful recipe! It is unbelievably good- the smokiness, the heat, and the sweet are perfectly balanced. I used (1 c) red lentils instead of chickpeas and so added (1 1/2 c) extra veggie broth for a total of 2 c, and I substituted oregano for cumin and omitted the salt. I had all ingredients on hand (woohoo for yummy harissa paste!) and this came together so easily…it will definitely be on regular rotation in my house! So delicious!!!

Easy to make, healthy and delicious!

This is SO good. I made it on a whim because I had leftover eggplant in my fridge and it was simple, easy, and so tasty. I added turmeric powder for the heck of it and it tasted great. Thanks for the recipe!

Made this the other day and wow! So bloomin’ good and so easy/quick to make! Definitely going to be a weeknight staple in our home. I used 1 tin of normal chopped tomatoes, 1 medium eggplant, and then a whole tin of chickpeas – so more chickpeas than needed for smaller batch size, but it really bulked it up. Also used maple syrup and had it with brown rice. Honestly love it, as with all MB recipes. Thanks, Dana and team!

Oh so wonderful! The spices were right on. I have very hot Harrisa powder, but it was just the right about of heat for my husband and me. I served it over couscous with white raisins and slivered almonds as another review suggested, topped with a little feta. I didn’t have chickpeas, so used black beans.I wish I’d just left them out because they overpowered the eggplant. I have saved this so I can make it often. Yum!

Really delicious. Would definitely recommend adding a bunch of salt at the end.

OH MY, so so good!!! We’re not even vegetarians, but we had a big beautiful eggplant to use up and this was perfect. My 14-year old made it since I wasn’t home, and she had no difficulty at all (except that we didn’t have harissa paste so she had to figure out how to substitute sriracha instead). The only problem was that there were no leftovers ;-)

I was torn between making your Moroccan Stuffed Eggplant, the Eggplant Lasagna, or this, which I loved the simplicity of for a faster weeknight dinner. So I made this and added 1/2 cup red lentils instead of the chickpeas and a cup more water to the sauce. While the lentils were simmering, I made cauliflower rice from a package in the freezer to serve it over.

It was fabulous, rave reviews as usual, many thanks!

I’ve made this many times. It is quite possibly my favorite way to prepare eggplant. I use berbere or harissa powder instead of paste but otherwise follow the recipe. So good especially on a cold day.

Easy and delicious, and tasted great the second day too! I had a couple Chinese eggplant and a couple yellow squash and they worked well in this recipe. I didn’t have harissa paste but used a touch of Thai chili paste instead and it worked well. I added oregano but that was the only thing I added.

Love this recipe over rice. Added roasted cauliflower to add a little more bite. Fire!! Vegan for nonvegans! :)

So thankful for this page!
Had a huge eggplant in my fridge, first thing I did was open MB to check for ideas. Was not disappointed! I followed the recipe to a T, absolutely delicious. Had it with some rice and topped with cilantro.
Thank you!

I was looking for some dinner inspiration and starting browsing through your recipes. I had made your Grillable Veggie Burgers (the absolute best!) the night before, and I had leftover rice. I stumbled upon this recipe, so I thought that it would be perfect to top the leftover rice with and I happened to have all the ingredients, except for the harissa. It’s not a staple in my kitchen, so I figured I would try the recipe without it. It was so delicious! My whole family and I just loved it! My husband added his own hot sauce to it and the kids and I just ate it as is. I’ll definitely be making this again! Thanks for yet another amazing recipe!

This recipe is AMAZING!
I did substitute a few ingredients just because of what I had in stock.
Instead of harissa paste I used half chili powder and half sriracha.
I also added baked cubed butternut squash along with the eggplant because I had some.
Other than those 2 changes, all else was right on.
Served over cauliflower rice…..PERFECTION!
Thank you so much! I’ve added this recipe to my monthly rotation and I make enough to eat it for 3-4 days!!
Delicious!!

Super easy and delicious! Used lentils instead of chickpeas, added the juice of one and a half lemons while cooking and topped with Greek yoghurt – AMAZING!!!

While this was good, it was a little bland until I added the cilantro. THEN the flavours really popped. I would say that the cilantro/ herbs are a MUST to get this flavourful

Just made this recipe and thought it was really good. I followed the recipe mostly as written. The only thing I did different was to roast the eggplant less time – probably 23-25 minutes total, checking after 15 minutes. It would make a nice addition to a Moroccan North African feast. I served it with Jasmine rice. It was easy, and I will make it again.

I made it the first time with a bit of red pepper flakes and some cayenne powder instead of the harissa and it was great. I do agree with another reviewer that if you make the eggplant too small it doesn’t hold its shape after simmering a bit.
The second time I had found the harissa paste at trader joes and was excited to try it that way, but the spiciness of the dish made it inedible. I can handle a decent amount of spice, but 2 Tbsp was too much. I will try again with much less.

This was simple to make and absolutely delicious! I couldn’t find harissa paste, so I used the MB recipe as a base and modified using what I had on hand. I also roasted some zucchini with the eggplant – my only comment is that next time I’ll cut the eggplant a bit bigger so it holds its shape more after being roasted. But there will definitely be a next time!

super yummers! i ate it in a bowl with a toasty baguette. leftovers will be with cauliflower rice.

I think I just fell in love with Eggplant lol. This recipe came out sooo yummy!! Thank you so much!

One of my new favorite recipes!! Really easy to put together and full of flavor. I only had a harissa powder blend, which contained salt, so I omitted the 1/4 tsp salt and it came out perfect :) Served over farro

I’ve made this a gabillion times and I can’t believe I forgot to review it! Outstanding recipe. My husband is a straight up carnivore and he LOVES this, and his co-workers hover when he brings leftovers to work. It’s so hearty and delicious! I tweak it a tiny bit; since none of us care for chickpeas I swap in black beans and I use sriracha instead of harissa but other than that? *chef’s kiss* So very very good. Thank you.

This was absolutely delicious and super easy to make! That’s why I love your recipes. Just the perfect blend of spices.

I substituted canned tomatoes with 2 fresh Marglobe tomatoes. I also didn’t add the maple syrup since the tomatoes I used were kind of sweet. I simmered the tomato mixture for 10 minutes. I had to skip the harissa paste as my boyfriend can’t handle spicy so I add cayenne on my plate at the end. I didn’t have chickpeas on hand, but ended up adding 4 eggs on top making it more like a shakshouka.

I would definitely make this over and over again!

I’m actually upset that found this at the end of the summer! This is definitely going into my arsenal of recipes. It’s pretty easy to make and very delicious. I actually couldn’t find any harissa products except for a sauce (not a paste or seasoning) and didn’t want to make my own. I served with plenty of parsley, lemon juice, and pita bread.

Sorry my last comment went through before I was finished. I made this recipe and it was AMAZING!! I feel like it expanded my repertoire into this beautiful, savory world of middle-eastern/north-African cuisine. I twisted the recipe a bit. I fried some delicious OKRA (maybe 1 lb?) and used that to replace some of the eggplant. I did not use any chick peas because I felt like that might be too much with the okra. It was SPECTACULAR. Just finished my leftovers. :)

This is an amazing dish. I made it almost exactly to the recipe with just a little twist that I will share with you. I had some OKRA that I was dying to cook with eggplant and this seemed like an ideal place to try them together. While I was baking the eggplant I chopped the okra in to bite-sized pieces (substituting for some eggplant and chick peas)

Amazing! So good, so easy….doubled the recipe for a friends night. Everyone raved and wanted the recipe! Your recipes are my go to, thank you!!

Funny I have been making this dish recently!
Maybe you would like to try:-
(Thank you for your great recipes)

I roast a whole eggplant and turn in occasionally, in the oven. Along with 1-2 red peppers, cut in half to blacken.
Then when cooked, cut the eggplant in half and leave to drain. And de skin the peppers and later dice both.

Meanwhile slice or dice (whatever you prefer- I like thin slices) large red onion. In a tiny bit of coconut oil. Until very slightly browning, don’t over brown as wont be as sweet.
Add 2 cloves of garlic and warm for 1min. Then add a large handful of small cherry or plum tomatoes. 150g. And an equal amount of water (as the tomatoes), add some Oregano, chilli flakes, squeeze of lemon, salt and black pepper… (Or what you like) let it reduce down into a sauce for 10-15mins. Mashing the tomatoes as they cook down.
Once it’s cooked add the Augbergine, red peppers, diced.
(This can be made into a dip. As original recipe – which just called for only bay leaves!!)
Or like me you can add 1/2 can of chickpeas, and have with roasted potatoes 💛

I added some air fried okra. It taste great

I ate this too quickly to take a picture… 😁 I thought it would be enough for two or three days, but since I can’t stop myself from eating we’ll only have a small portion along with brown rice left for tomorrow! 😅 Delicious and accesible recipe. Saving this one!!

Needed to use eggplant and tomatoes from my CSA this week and was so happy to have found this recipe. It tastes complex but is really easy to make and it’s delicious! Used sriracha since I didn’t have harissa paste and there’s a nice heat.

I am also always looking for ways to cook aubergine- this recipe was definitely up there at the top. I love how you have written the method too explaining why everything is added. Also I have never considered using water instead of oil for sautéing the onions but I will be using this forever now. Thank you very much!

I made this recipe, it was very good. Better than I expected, even though I did not have harissa paste. Five stars!

This was delicious! Since we did not have harissa I used a chili garlic sauce. We served it over couscous with slivered almonds and golden raisins, and sprinkled a bit of crumbled feta on top. I’ll definitely make it again.

I needed a recipe to make use of a glut of eggplants and tomatoes from my garden and this came up in my search. It was EXCELLENT and I will absolutely be making it again. My husband loved it so much, he said he would have happily paid for this dish in a restaurant and be looking forward to going back and having it again.

Thank you so much for including a weight for the eggplant–it allowed me to easily substitute the right amount of Japanese eggplant I had. Since I had fresh tomatoes, I ran them under the broiler with a bit of olive oil for a few minutes first to get a bit of char on them. I substituted sriracha plus a bit of ground coriander for the harissa.

Can’t wait to eat the leftovers and will definitely make it again.

This was friggin’ DELISH!! I ate it with millet, which made it feel more international. This is definitely going into the monthly rotation. YUM!!

Delicious! Made this with a side of jasmine rice, perfect!

Best recipe 😋 . Even my picky toddler liked it..sans chickpeas. I have made this 3x times, always hearty, flavorful and delicious. I used just a tsp of harissa spice I got from a Moroccan spice dealer. Amazing flavor! Thank again for another out of the park recipe!

DELICIOUS, nice and well spiced! I added some beets and kale because I didnt have enough eggplant and it came out tasty and colorful!

I made this with a few subs and additions: avocado oil to cook/roast with, chili-garlic sauce instead of harissa paste, added a bit of mushroom powder (MSG alternative) for some umami, used uncooked red lentils instead of chickpeas which cooked through during the simmering process, and added a touch of liquid smoke. Overall it was delicious, but I definitely suggest tasting and making adjustments throughout! Might add some roasted carrots to add a bit extra sweetness next time.

Amazing! I make it weekly, omitting the oil. This week my local grocer was out of eggplant so I used acorn squash instead—also delish!

Followed the recipe to a T and served over couscous. Wonderful! Adding to my eggplant recipe collection.

After reading so many positive reviews I had to give this recipe a shot! Suffice to say, the reviews are 5*’s for a reason!
Great flavor and level of spice (I couldn’t find Harissa paste so subbed chili garlic sauce instead) and used 1 cup of white beans in place of chickpeas (due to an intolerance). The stew came together easily and we enjoyed it alongside oven warmed hunks of Minimalist Baker’s Easy Whole Wheat bread that I had made late last week!

Delicious! I always come back to this recipe

This dish was incredible! I paired it with Banza rice for more protein + fiber. I also made the Minimalist Baker crispy cauliflower (roasted) with a hint of maple syrup to add on top. Made enough for two hearty meals plus more for leftovers. Another Minimalist Baker favorite!

I just made this and it was a hit! everyone loved it,

It was great! I only had half measure of eggplant, but divided the recipe in half and it was great! :)

Yummy!

Just made this and IMMEDIATELY shared with my mom. What a wholesome and comforting stew, especially in times like now…
Added roasted carrots, only put in 1/2 TBSP of maple syrup, and added 3 TBSP of harissa total. Think I can handle some more — my harissa is really mild.
Overall…SO GOOD! New staple!

BTW, your site is the ONLY recipe site I follow (outside of Bon Appetit). I’m so excited whenever you publish a new recipe! Thanks so much for all the work you put into these!

This recipe is so good! I’ve made it so many times exactly as the recipe is written and it’s always a hit with everyone – even the meat-eaters! Also super simple and relatively quick to make.