Middle Eastern Eggplant Stew

I spent the last week in New York City visiting my family and friends, and almost every night went out to some great restaurant where, most often, I ordered red meat. My week of carnivorous decadence culminated in Thanksgiving, and this year my family decided to forgo the traditional turkey and fixings for boef bourguignon because that's just the kind of people we are. Needless to say, when I returned to California I decided that lighter, vegetable-based dishes are what I need to eat right now to detox a little. I threw together this stew and am really pleased with it; its filling and pretty cheap to make, and you can really taste each ingredient's distinct flavor. It reheats well, too, so its great to bring to work for lunch.

1 eggplant, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 Yukon Gold potato, diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 14 ounce can chickpeas aka garbanzo beans
1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
olive oil
salt
pepper
1 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
1 Turkish bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
(the spice measurements are not exact)

In a large pot, saute the onions and garlic in olive oil for a couple of minutes. Add the potatoes, eggplant and zucchini (chop and add as you go). Saute for another 8 minutes and then add the chickpeas and tomatoes. Season everything with all your spices, add between 3 and 4 cups of water (so everything is not quite covered) and cover. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 40 minutes. Stir in the parsley, add more salt and pepper to taste, and serve over couscous. Spritz with lemon before eating.