Prepare the vegetables as noted below. Combine onions and garlic in a large saucepan and cook, covered, over low heat until tender, about 10 minutes, or until the onion is soft and translucent. Add a little water or vegetable broth as needed to prevent scorching. Measure spices into a bowl: the turmeric through black pepper. Stir in the spice blend and cook for 3 minutes. Add the potatoes, bell pepper, eggplant and water or vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes. Add the garbanzos, tomatoes and raisins and simmer, covered, until the potatoes are tender, about 35 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro before serving. CALS 324 (0 CHOL; 2 G FAT) 705 MG SODIUM (publishers estimate) Vegetable Preparation: Potatoes: 2 or 3, peeled, cut into 2-inch cubes (2-1/2 pounds); Use sweet potatoes, yams, yukon golds, etc. Red Bell Pepper: 1 medium, core and coarsley chop (1 cup); use raw. Eggplant: 1 small (about). Jab peel with fork; cut into 2-inch cubes (2 cups). Garbanzo beans (or chickpeas): cooked/canned. Rinsed (about 2 cups) Tomatoes: canned, chopped; with juice (about 2 cups). Raisins: black or golden. Cilantro or other fresh herb like lemon basil, mint, Italian parsley, watercress, etc. +Judys version: sweet potatoes, whole tomatoes (chopped), omit garbanzos, a 7-oz jar of "fire-roasted" red peppers, rinsed. +Pats version: as written except yams; lemon slices. Recipe by: LA Times /King Sydication /1997 Jan /Judy Posted to Digest eat-lf.v097.n037 by PATh on Feb 07, 1997.