I first made this stew a week ago, when I was looking for something to do with the small Thai Eggplants that were going to waste in my refrigerator. Aromatic and warmly spiced, this Iraqi stew was so delectable that I was actually happy that I was going to have to make the whole meal again.
You see, I had timing issues. I expected the yellow split peas that had been aging in my freezer for, well, ages to behave like fresher peas, and as a result, the stew I imagined taking two hours to cook took over three. And because I had thrown in the eggplant during hour one, it had completely dissolved and become unrecognizable by the time we ate the stew.
It was still delicious, and to be honest, disintegrated eggplant is a plus when you’re feeding an eggplant-hating child (in other words, she didn’t know it was there.) But I wanted to get the timing right and perhaps have tender cubes of eggplant, so less than a week later, I was back in the kitchen making this dish again.
You’ll notice when you read the instructions that I don’t give a specific cooking time for the split peas; that’s because the cooking time varies depending on how old your split peas are, the hardness of your water, and (I think, though I have no proof of this) your elevation. The peas need to be falling-apart soft before you add the other ingredients because they form a sauce around the eggplant and seitan. If your peas are as old as mine, you just need to cook the heck out of them first. I used a pressure cooker, so my second go-round with this recipe took a lot less time.
While I was redoing the recipe, I also decided to tinker with the seitan that goes into it. Previously, I had baked the seitan before tossing it into the stew. This time around, I tried adding the seitan raw to save a step and to see what the resulting texture would be. I’m happy to report that cooking the seitan in the stew worked beautifully; it became more tender and “meaty” than the pre-baked seitan. Which way is better is a matter of taste: I liked the tenderness of the unbaked seitan, while my husband slightly preferred the chewiness of the baked. I’ll leave the choice up to you.
And while I’m talking about seitan, I apologize to my gluten-free readers. I think you still may be able to enjoy this stew with, perhaps, chickpeas or another bean standing in for the seitan. Or maybe you can add an extra half cup of split peas and cook them just until al dente before adding the eggplant. If you try it, please let me know your results.
I know the recipe seems like a lot of work, but I think it is worth it for this unusual and delicious dish. If you really want to cut time, though, consider using a pound of packaged seitan instead of homemade.
Iraqi-Inspired Seitan and Eggplant Stew
Ingredients
- 1 large onion coarsely chopped
- 1 cup yellow split peas rinsed and picked over
- 6 cups water
- 2 dried red chile peppers
- Seasoning blend see below or baharat
- 1-2 teaspoons salt or to taste
- 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
- 1 large eggplant diced
- additional seasonings to taste
Seitan
- 1 cup vital wheat gluten
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon mesquite or hickory seasoning optional
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon tahini or other nut butter
- 3/4 cup cold water
Seasoning Blend (mix all together)
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon cardamom
Instructions
- Heat a large pot or pressure cooker and add the chopped onion. Cook, stirring, until onion is caramel colored and flecked with brown, 6-10 minutes. (Be careful not to burn.)
- Add the split peas, water, dried chilies, and seasoning blend. Cover and cook until split peas are dissolving. How long this takes will depend on the age of your split peas but allow at least an hour for regular stove-top cooking. (The peas I used were older, so I used the pressure cooker and cooked at high pressure for 16 minutes then quick-released.) Once cooked, split peas should still be very watery, not thick like soup. Add water as necessary to prevent drying out.
- While the split-peas cook, prepare the seitan. Mix the dry ingredients together and add the cold water and tahini (or other nut butter). Mix well. Turn out on a board and knead several times. Flatten out the dough, and using a sharp knife, cut it into rough 1/2-3/4 inch cubes. Set cubes aside. Trim the eggplant and cut it into 1/2-inch pieces.
- Once the split peas are completely tender and starting to fall apart, add the salt, pomegranate molasses, seitan, and eggplant to the pot. There should be enough liquid that the ingredients are just covered but are not floating. If necessary, add more water. Check seasonings and add more if necessary (I added about 1/2 teaspoon of cumin and coriander.) Cover loosely and cook at a low simmer, stirring often, for about 45 minutes, until seitan is firm and cooked all the way through and eggplant is tender. (Toward the end, be sure to stir from the bottom to avoid sticking.)
- Remove the chile peppers and serve in bowls with rice or pita bread.
Notes
Nutritional info is approximate.
dragonfly pie
This looks like the perfect dish to make when the weather starts to turn. I bet it would be delicious over rice!
The Voracious Vegan
Oh wow! This looks so comforting and warming and ohhhh so yummy. I love all the spices and flavors you've got going on in there. Very beautiful.
fresh365
The photo is just gorgeous! I have some eggplant, so can't wait to try this and taste the seasonings! I love dragonfly pie's suggestion of serving over rice. Yum!
crzyquilter
I made split pea soup yesterday. I never think the peas are as tender as I would like, so since I knew in the morning that I was going to use them I decided to soak them until–probalby 3-4 hours. Pour off the water and use in in your recipe. They took much less time to cook than previously, and were very yummy.
I'm anxious to try making seitan. I've never even had it. This will be an new adventure for my year old vegan lifestyle.
Anonymous
This sounds delicious…how many of the asian eggplants would you use?
KathyF
I can vouch for the fact that elevation matters, though I don't remember cooking split peas…or using a pressure cooker.
We noticed while living in Albuquerque, approx. 1mile high, that large beans, like red beans, would take forever to cook, and rarely got really cooked all the way through. You really had to soak them overnight to be successful–an 8 hour soak didn't do the job.
(The issue is that water boils at a lower temperature, so water never reaches 212 degrees, the temperature of boiling water at sea level.)
SusanV
Anonymous, use between 1 and 1 1/2 pounds of whatever kind of eggplant you use.
KathyF, thanks for verifying that for me. I suspected as much but didn't take the time to do the research.
Amanda
Hi there, can you use regular molasses? I don't know if I can find it here. Thanks, this looks amazing!
Anonymous
MMmmm, looks yummy! Never heard of pomegranate molasses before. Found a recipe by searching the internet.
SusanV
Amanda, the pom molasses adds more tart than sweet, so if you don't have it, I suggest adding a teaspoon of lemon juice near the end of cooking. No need to add molasses.
Marilou Garon
Ooooo! Beautiful! Could I just substitute ready-made seitan? If so, roughly how much would you recommend? I think I don't have the nerve to tackle homemade seitan just yet! Oh, and in my experience, pomegranate molasses is easily available in alot of Middle-Eastern stores.
SusanV
Marilou, I'm guessing that you will need at least a pound of pre-cooked seitan. I suggest you use less water–maybe start off with 4 cups–because pre-made seitan will not absorb it as much. But truly, homemade seitan is SO easy to make. There's really no trick to it–just mix, cut, and toss into the stew. Plus, it's a lot less expensive. You should give it a try someday!
Pomegranate
You are so amazing. How do you not have a cookbook yet??
Mary
That spice mixture sounds incredible. It must have taken a lot f tinkering to get it just right. I'd love to make this with chickpeas once the weather cools a bit.
Josiane
This is *so* perfect! It reminds me of some of the Iranian stews I loved but can't eat anymore because there is always meat in there with the beans or peas. You gave me the perfect simple solution with this awesome recipe, and I'm really thankful for that! I suspect this will become a staple around here…
Thank you, Susan!
Ricki
Sounds absolutely delectable. I used to love seitan, but sadly can't have it any more. May have to try this with chickpeas or bean balls!
Courtney
Timing issues are the worst, but I am so glad you re-did it and shared the recipe! However, you *clearly* have AC if you are cooking on the stove for 3 hours! I, unfortunately, do not have AC, so this will have to go on the (imaginary) back burner til the heat and humidity dies down a bit (okay, a LOT!)…it sounds SO good, though!
Courtney
Michal
This looks so delicious, i know this will be a staple this winter when it gets chilly out 🙂
mandi
I too have eggplant wasting away in my fridge. This might be dinner tomorrow. Thanks, as always!
Alisa - Frugal Foodie
Whenever I have an eggplant on hand, I always come to your blog first to look for recipes; and it always amazes me how many new ones you come up with!
alexandra
I've got eggplant in my garden just ready, some old split peas of every color, and a 50 pound bag of vital wheat gluten in my pantry. Thanks for the inspiration.
Anonymous
Susan, can I mix all of the ingredients for the seitan in the food processor? I've never tried to make seitan, but this one looks good, esp. since we all love eggplant so much. Also, the spice mix looks similar to garam masala, so I might start with that as a base and add nutmeg, paprika, cumin and coriander. What do you think?
SusanV
Garam masala will be fine, Anonymous. As for the food processor, I don't think it will hurt, but it's kind of overkill. The amounts here are small and very easy to stir together, and all the kneading that's necessary is maybe 10 quick strokes. I wouldn't dirty the food processor to do it, but if you want to, I can't see that it would hurt.
betty
Beautiful,yummy site-love the pictures and great info,thank you- Betty
Alice, Angel Food
This sounds right up my alley, thanks! It's winter here in New Zealand, so eggplants aren't in season – but I'm going to make a winter variant of this recipe tonight.
Best wishes, Alice
KamalKitchen
hey susan,
This looks great. You are really an inspiration for trying out exotic things. I loved your berbere mix and use it a lot. I am sure this new seasoning will also be great.
Yes, water boils later at heights, so elevation definitely plays a role.
I am not sure what you mean by yellow split peas though..you do mean a kind of lentil? do you store raw lentils in the freezer and why..
Seitan is unknown to me..dont know when I am going to try it..
Thanks!!
SusanV
Yellow split peas look a lot like chana dal, though the are actually seeds of different plants. You could use either one, or you could even use red lentils or masoor dal, which will cook much more quickly.
I started storing all my grains and legumes in the freezer a few years ago when I had an infestation of insects. I read that grain sometimes comes from the store containing insect eggs and that storing in the freezer will kill them. Disgusting, I know, but it worked, so I got in the habit of keeping them there. I have a large upright freezer so I actually have more space in it than I do in my cabinets.
whole food whole family
Susan, this looks amazing! I have some eggplants languishing in my fridge, so I think I'll make it tonight, ladled over brown basmati. I can't digest seitan very well so I'll try your suggestion of garbanzo beans. Thanks for posting such a lovely recipe!
Elessar
Oh, Susan, now you have challenged me–again! I detest big purple egglants, make my own seitan, and have a lot of split yellow beans and red lentils to mess with. I always love your spicing. Do I dare try to make this? Anyone wanting an easy-peasy way to make seitan should email me at elessar@ntlworld.com.
I get a new refrigerator on this coming monday, and the dying one well be taken away to the old folk's burial site. So, time for me to try asian egglant? Heck, yeah!
Thank you all commenters, for giving me ideas, and special thank yous to the most amazing inventor in food I've ever met besides me: Susan V.The space I clear by using up yellow split peas will allow a great shit in my pantry. Yum yum Yum!
Jill
Thanks Susan! We made this for dinner last night and served it with bulgur and baked pita…..so delicious. I love, love, love the spicing and the pom molas. in it. Excellent!
Chandelle
Okay, I made this tonight, with some changes.
http://wholefoodwholefamily.blogspot.com/2009/08/susan-inspired-eggplant-red-lentil-stew.html
(I also said some nice things about your blog, because of a post somewhere else that made me indignant.)
Thanks so much for a great idea to keep my eggplant from ending up in the trash! It was DELICIOUS.
Swetha
Hello Susan, You have a wonderful website and excellent theme. Way to go girl! I have something waiting for you at my blog http://swethabhatta.blogspot.com/
… please come and pick it up.
~Swetha
La'
looks really delicious!
Carla I
I made this recipe with a few changes–not enough time for the split peas, so I used red lentils. Only takes 20 minutes of cooking with no soaking, and they were delicious. Also, I already had make a "chicken" stlye seitan, so I pan fried that with some of the spice mix. That worked out well. I made it without the molasses, but have since found it at a lebanese market. I was wondering if tamarind would be a decend sub? Anyway, it was delicious with all the changes, but I'm excited to make it as printed. It's a wonderful, flexible recipe!
Lorrie
Just found you and I love your recipes!! I've been a Vegan for about 6 years now and am always looking for some new yummy fixins.
Greaaat job – I will certainly be a regular to your fabulous blog 🙂
ohonemorething
I'm going to be make seitan soon, so I'll be bookmarking this recipe 😀 It sounds delicious.
Shilla
This looks delicious! I'm wondering if you can put the raw seitan in with the yellow peas to speed up the cooking process, then just adding the eggplant later since it will cook pretty fast? I'm excited to see what the seitan will taste like being cooked in the dish itself.
SusanV
Well, I'd say that the seitan IS cooked in the dish itself. You could start it in with the split peas, but I don't think it will shorten the cooking time much. It takes 30-45 minutes for the eggplant to cook through and absorb the seasonings. I'm also worried that the texture of the seitan would be wrong; if you boil it high enough to cook the split peas, you risk making the seitan go all fluffy and "brainy."
jasmine
Thank you Susan! This was delicious! I confess I skipped the pomegranate molasses and the cardamom, even though both ingredients sound wonderful, simply because I'm trying to keep my pantry size and grocery bill reasonable and I could cook the recipe without going to the store this way. I substituted a scant teaspoon of tamarind concentrate, a drizzle of agave, and a swirl of lime. It still came out delicious.
Jax
I made this the other night and it was SO amazing! What a great way to cook seitan!