With a sharp knife, prepare the eggplant, red bell pepper, and sweet potato. The sweet potato should be half the size of the eggplant and bell pepper. See blog post for reference sizes.
In a large bowl, toss eggplant, red bell pepper, and sweet potato with 1 tablespoon olive oil, ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Layer evenly on a large baking sheet. Try to keep the vegetables in a single layer.
Roast vegetables for 15 minutes at 425 degrees F. Remove from oven and stir the vegetables. Roast for another 10-15 minutes, until sweet potatoes are cooked through.
While the vegetables are cooking, prepare the coconut sauce. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, add garlic and ginger. Saute until golden brown and aromatic, about one minute.
Add the curry powder, garam masala, cumin and salt to the saucepan. Slowly whisk in the full-fat coconut milk. Add the canned chickpeas (make sure to drain the chickpea liquid first). Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin from forming. Simmer uncovered until creamy and thickened, about 15 minutes. The sauce should be ready when the roasted vegetables are done. Stir in fresh spinach just before serving.
To make one bowl: Add ¾ cup rice, ¼ of the roasted vegetables and ¼ of the chickpeas and coconut sauce. Serve with a lime wedge and fresh cilantro.
Notes
1 cup dry white rice generally yields 3 cups of cooked rice. For two cups you will need about ⅔ cup dry rice.
Any rice will work in this recipe, but I prefer the texture of basmati rice in grain bowls. To prepare the basmati rice, use an electric pressure cooker, stove-top method, or rice cooker (refer to rice cooker manual).
Reduced fat coconut milk will yield a less creamy coconut sauce. I recommend using full-fat coconut milk for best results.