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When I first made this dish, I fried the eggplant slices instead of broiling them. My thinking was that since I was cooking a meatless main course, frying the eggplant would make the dish richer and a little more substantial. And it did, making a colossal mess along the way. And it took me forever to fry 2 pounds of baby eggplant in batches in one skillet. But the combination of the golden eggplant braised with chickpeas, tomatoes, and garam masala until soft and velvety was such a hit, I knew I'd have to try the dish again using the broiler, where I'd make less mess and save time. Yes, the fried version was slightly better. But the broiled version was so much easier that it won out. Serve this over rice or with flatbread as a meatless main course, or as a side to grilled meats or fish.

with Eggplant

Curried Chickpeas

baby or small Italian

extra-virgin olive oil

Fine sea salt

large white onion

garlic cloves

fresh hot green chile

garam masala

sweet paprika

freshly ground black pepper

cayenne pepper

ripe tomatoes

cooked chickpeas

Fresh lemon or lime juice to taste

fresh mint leaves

scallions (white and green parts)

Plain Greek yogurt

Arrange an oven rack 6 inches from the heat source, and heat the broiler.

Lay the eggplant slices out in one layer on two or three baking sheets, and brush both sides of the slices with olive oil. Season the eggplant slices all over with fine sea salt. One pan at a time, broil the eggplant until the tops are browned, 3 to 5 minutes; then flip the slices over and continue to cook until well browned and soft, another 3 to 5 minutes. Set the cooked eggplant aside.

Heat a 12-inch skillet over high heat. Add the olive oil and heat until it is shimmering. Add the onion slices and cook until they are limp and browned in spots, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and chile, and cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Stir in the garam masala, paprika, black pepper, and cayenne; cook for 1 minute, and then add the tomatoes, chickpeas, and 2 tablespoons of water.

Partially cover the skillet and simmer until the tomatoes start to break down, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the eggplant to the skillet and cook until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Taste, and add a little more fine sea salt if needed and a sprinkling of lemon juice to taste.

Serve the eggplant topped with the mint and scallions, and with dollops of yogurt if you like.