Indian Fire Roasted Eggplant Recipes

INDIAN EGGPLANT - BHURTHA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven's broiler. Rub oil on the outside of the egg plant, or coat with cooking spray. Place under the broiler, and cook until the flesh is soft and the skin is blistering off, about 30 minutes. Turn as needed for even cooking. Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise, and scoop the flesh out of the skin. Discard the skin; chop up the flesh, and set aside.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the cumin seeds, and let them crackle for a few seconds and turn golden brown. Be careful not to burn them. Add the onion, ginger and garlic; cook and stir until tender. I don't let the onions get very brown. Stir in the tomato, and season with turmeric, ground cumin, ground coriander, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper. Cook and stir for a few minutes.
• Place the eggplant pieces in the skillet, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes so some of the moisture evaporates. Taste, and adjust seasonings if desired. Garnish with fresh cilantro, and serve.

BAINGAN BHARTA- INDIAN STYLE FIRE ROASTED EGGPLANTS

Steps:

• Prick eggplants and roast them over open flame or in a tandoor/preheated oven until the skin scorches and starts peeling off.
• The sure shot way to check if the eggplants are done is to pierce them with the back of a spoon, if it enters the brinjal like soft butter then they are done.
• When at room temperature remove the skin and mash the pulp.
• Chop the onions, tomatoes and green chilli.
• Heat oil(preferably mustard oil) in a kadahi(wok) and add chopped onions. Sauté until they are pink. Do not brown them.Then add chopped ginger, garlic, chopped green chilli and stir.
• After about 1/2 a minute add the tomatoes and the salt(adding salt with the tomatoes softens the tomatoes faster and thus makes cooking easier)When the tomatoes are done(oil seperates from them)add all the powders except for the garam masala powder and cook for another 1/2 a minute.
• Now add the mashed brinjals. After this point not much cooking is required. Cook for about 1/2 to 1 minute and finally add the garam masala and chopped corriander leaves.
• Serve immediately with roti, paraatha, naan, pitta bread, or even on a toast! We love it on a crunchy toast - irresistable, I tell you!

INDIAN FIRE ROASTED EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Preheat grill to medium heat or a broiler to 325 degrees F. and set an oven rack five inches below the heat source.
• Flame-char the whole eggplants on the gas grill, turning constantly until blackened and soft, about 15 minutes. Alternatively, you may roast the eggplants under the preheated broiler on a sheet pan until completely soft and lightly burnt and the skin starts peeling off, about 15 to 20 minutes.
• Immerse the grilled or roasted eggplants in cold water to cool. Remove the skin and stem and coarsely chop the flesh. Set aside.
• Heat the ghee or oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the cumin and sauté until it begins to crackle, about 30 seconds. Add the onion and cook until transparent, about two minutes. Add the ginger and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds.
• Reduce the heat to medium low. Add paprika, salt and tomatoes and cook for two minutes. Add eggplant and green chili peppers and cook, stirring constantly, until soft and mushy, about four to five minutes. Stir in the cilantro and serve hot.

MASHED FIRE-ROASTED EGGPLANT

Steps:

• 1. Flame-char or roast the eggplants, then peel and mash, as per INFORMATION AND SPECIAL TECHNIQUES: __Roasting and Grilling Vegetables, Eggplant.2. Heat the oil in a large wok or saucepan over medium-high heat, add the green chili peppers and onion, and cook, stirring, until golden, about 7 minutes. Add the tomatoes and 1 cup cilantro and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomato juices evaporate, about 5 minutes.3. Mix in the eggplant pulp and salt. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Mix in the remaining 1/2 cup chopped cilantro during the last 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, dig out the chili peppers and place on top as a garnish (and a warning), and serve.From "1,000 Indian Recipes." Copyright 2002 by Neelam Batra. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.