Stew with couscous, African eggplant and chickpeas

Preparation

• Quarter the African eggplants and place them in a bowl. Cover with water and add 2 teaspoons of salt. Use a plate to make sure all the pieces remain covered by the water. Leave for at least 20 minutes before draining the eggplants. Do not rinse them!
• In the meantime, prepare the couscous according to the instructions on the packet. Add the cinnamon stick while cooking.
• Chop or crush the garlic cloves. Chop the onion. Cut the carrots into four pieces. 
• Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Fry the drained African eggplants until golden brown on all sides (they do not need to be cooked yet). Then remove them from the pan and set aside briefly. 
• Add some more oil to the pan and fry the onion and garlic until the onion is translucent. Then add the cinnamon and ras al hanour and fry briefly.
• Then add the cherry or peeled tomatoes and fill the can with water again. Add the water along with the stock cube, carrot, rains, and African eggplants. Bring to boil, then lower the heat and put a lid on the pan. Simmer until the vegetables are tender. 
• In the meantime, rinse the chickpeas and add them to the vegetable stew for the last few minutes. 
• Season the stew with salt and pepper and garnish with coriander or parsley and finely chopped red pepper.
• Serve with the couscous.