Curried eggplant with chickpeas and spinach

My recent purchase of curry powder went to great use last night. I didn't start getting into Indian food or flavors until about a year ago, but with my high tolerance for spice and love for authentic fare, it was inevitable for me to adopt a love affair with the cuisine. Last night was the first time I cooked an Indian dish from start to finish, so a simple meal like this one was perfect for a first try. Inspired by this Food & Wine recipe, I only made a few small changes to the ingredient list, to save some dough and use up items I already had in my kitchen - as well as to satisfy my own personal tastes. For instance, the original recipe calls for vegetable oil, but I only had olive oil - plus, I love the taste of olive oil versus vegetable. I also added crushed red pepper for extra heat, and use powdered ginger versus fresh. By reading both recipes, you'll notice the differences, but the taste was not compromised by making a few subtle changes. Roasting the ingredients also resulted in a symphony of flavors that other forms of cooking just could not capture. Trust me when I say, this dish is worth trying; and took less than one hour to prepare and cook.

Curried Eggplant with Chickpeas & Spinach
Yields: 4 servings

-2 tbsp. jarred minced garlic
-2 tsp. curry powder
-1/2 cup olive oil
-1 medium eggplant, peeled and cubed in 3/4-inch pieces
-1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
-3/4 of 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained (I used all 15 oz., and found it to be too much)
-1/4 tsp. ground ginger
-1/2 tbsp. crushed red pepper
-One 5 oz. bag baby spinach
-Salt and pepper
-Warm Naan and plain yogurt, for serving

Directions: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Mash the garlic to a paste with a pinch of salt. In a bowl, mix the paste with the curry powder and olive oil. Put eggplant, onion, chickpeas and ginger in a large roasting pan (or spread out flat on cookie sheet), and coat with the oil, garlic and curry mixture. Season liberally with salt and pepper, and toss well. Roast for about 30 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the eggplant and onion are tender. Stir in the spinach and roast until wilted (about two minutes). Serve with Naan and plain yogurt.

Do you like Indian food/flavors? Why or why not?

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