Lentil and Eggplant Chile Mole

By gnikylime

Isa Chandra Moskowitz's lentil and eggplant chile mole, a hearty vegan dish. This is one of my favorite dishes to make. You get a lot of flavor from a pretty easy preparation. I really recommend adding a dollop of yogurt or soygurt (or some vegan yogurt substitute) as it provides a nice cooling contrast to the chile mole.

The following is based on 6 servings, which seems like too few servings for the amount this recipe makes.

Calories: 220
Calories from fat: 20
Total fat: 2 g
Sat fat: 0 g
Trans fat: 0 g
Total Carbohydrates: 39 g
Fiber: 18 g
Sugars: 10 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 800 mg

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon [1 Teelöffel] olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced medium
• 1 red pepper, diced medium
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon [1 Esslöffel] mild chili powder
• 2 teaspoons [2 Teelöffel] ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons [2 Teelöffel] ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons [2 Teelöffel] dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon [1/2 Teelöffel] ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon [3/4 Teelöffel] salt
• 2 tablespoons [2 Esslöffel] unsweetened cocoa powder (or 0.7 oz. [20 g.] dark chocolate, chopped finely, and omit the agave nectar)
• 4 cups [950 mL] vegetable broth (1/2 + 3-1/2 c.) [120 + 830 mL]
• 2 pounds [1 kg.] eggplant, cut into 3/4 inch [2 cm.] cubes (approx. 1 large eggplant)
• 1 cup green or black lentils, washed
• 1 15 oz [400 g.] can diced tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons [2 Teelöffel] agave nectar or maple syrup
• Cilantro for garnish (optional)
• Fat free Greek yogurt or soygurt for garnish (optional, but highly recommended)

Details

Servings 8
Preparation time 10mins
Cooking time 70mins
Adapted from cbsnews.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat a 4-quart [4 L] soup pot over medium high heat. Saute onions and bell pepper in oil until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and saute for another minute, using cooking spray or a splash of water if it's sticking. Mix in chili powder, cumin, coriander, oregano, salt and cinnamon. Add 1/2 cup [120 mL] of the vegetable broth and the cocoa powder; cook for about 1 more minute, while stirring, to dissolve the cocoa.
2. Add lentils, vegetable broth, diced tomatoes and eggplant. Cover pot and bring to a boil, keeping a close eye. Once it's boiling, lower heat to a simmer and cook for about 40 minutes, until lentils are tender and eggplant is soft. Mix in agave. Taste for salt and seasoning.
3. Let sit for 10 minutes or so for maximum flavor. Serve garnished with cilantro and yogurt/soygurt if you like.