Beef and Eggplant Stew from Tadjikistan

A friend gave us some eggplants that she hadn't had time to use, so I went on line to find something hearty to do with them on a winter day and found this recipe at recipes.wuzzle.org (The World Hearth International Recipe Site). For those suspicious of eggplant, using them this way, they become more of a thickener than an individual "bite." Delicious served over brown rice!

• Ready In: 1 hr 45 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1  eggplant, large
• 1⁄3 cup olive oil, divided
• 2  onions, large, finely chopped
• 3  carrots, medium, finely chopped
• 1  lb beef, cubed
• 1⁄2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1  teaspoon cumin
• 1⁄2 teaspoon paprika
• 1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne
• 2  cups  beef stock
• 3  tomatoes, large, finely chopped
• 1  pinch sugar
•  salt, to taste
•  pepper, to taste
• 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas
• 3  tablespoons parsley, finely chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pierce egpplant all over with a small knife and bake on baking sheet until soft, about 45 minutes. Cool, scoop out the pulp and set aside.
2. Heat hall the oil in a large skillet, add the onions and carrots, and saute until softened, about 15 minutes.
3. In a deep, heavy skillet, heat the remaining oil and saute the beef for 10 minutes. Add the sauteed vegetables, turmeric, paprika, cumin, cayenne, and eggplant pulp. Cook for 2 minutes.
4. Add stock, tomatoes, sugar, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 1 hour.
5. Add chickpeas and cook for 10 minutes more.
6. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve over rice.