Ingredients of the week: Eggplant and Cauliflower

This week I made a fabulous dish which can work either as a vegetarian main dish or a side dish.  It incorporates lots of yummy and healthy ingredients:  veggies, beans, and rice.  Plus, it enabled me to use two ingredients I don't normally use!  I had it as a side with pork spare ribs, but it seems like it would be very versatile.  It is a bit of work (especially with so much soaking and straining), but I thought it was worth it.  Modification:  I forgot to get the yellow split peas, so I just upped the mung beans and lentils to 4 oz each.

Ingredients:

2tsp Salt

8oz (1c) brown rice (washed, soaked, and drained)

3 oz mung beans (washed and drained)

2 oz yellow split peas (washed and drained)

3 oz. Red lentils

2 oz. butter, plus some to grease the pan

2 onions, peeled and sliced

2 green chiles (I used jalapenos)

1 inch knob of ginger, peeled and finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed, diced, or minced

1 tbsp ground corriander/cilantro

1/2 tsp ground tumeric

5 oz. potatoes, peeled and cubed

4 oz (1/2 c) carrots, peeled and cubed

1 eggplant, cubed

1/2 small cauliflower, broken into florets

1 14 oz can diced tomatoes

2 cups boiling chicken (or vegetable) stock

Sprinkle parmesean cheese, optional.

1. Half-fill a medium saucepan with water.  Add 1/2 tsp of salt and bring to boil over high heat.  Add rice and bring to boil for 3 minutes.  Remove pan from heat, drain rice and set aside.
2. Half-fill the same medium saucepan with water. Add 1/2 tsp of salt and bring to boil over high heat. Add mung beans, yellow peas, and red lentils.  Boil for 5 minutes.  Remove pan from heat, drain, and set aside (separate from rice).
3. Heat butter in a large frying pan.  Add onions and fry 8-10 minutes, until golden brown.
4. Add chiles, ginger, garlic, and fry, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes.  Stir in corriander and tumeric and fry for another minute.
5. Add potatoes, carrots, eggplant, cauliflower, and remaining salt.  Stir well to mix.  Cover pan, and reduce heat to moderately low and cook for 20-30 minutes, until tender but not mushy.
6. Preheat oven to 275.  Grease a 13x9" pan with butter.  When veggies are cooked, remove pan from heat.  Layer beans, vegetables, and rice in pan (in order) and repeat until they are all used up.  
7. Pour boiling stock into the pan.  Cover with foil and cook in oven for 45 minutes.  Uncover and grate fresh parmesean rind or add grated cheese to lightly top.  Cook uncovered for another 10-15 minutes.