Indian Spiced Eggplant Recipes

EXOTIC BRINJAL (SPICY EGGPLANT)

Steps:

• Heat the 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet, and fry eggplant pieces until golden, about 5 minutes. Remove the eggplant from the skillet and set aside; wipe out the skillet with a paper towel.
• Heat the 6 tablespoons oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Stir in the cumin, fenugreek, kalonji, and sesame seeds, and cook until the cumin turns golden, about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat; stir in the ginger and garlic, and cook for a few seconds. Stir in the onions and green chile pepper, and continue to cook and stir until the onion is golden, about 10 minutes.
• Stir the tomato puree, chili powder, coriander, turmeric, and salt into the onions. Cook and stir over medium heat for 2 minutes, or until the oil separates. Stir in the cooked eggplant; cover and simmer until eggplant is tender, about 5 minutes. Pour in the coconut milk; stir until blended and heated through. Sprinkle with cilantro leaves.

INDIAN EGGPLANT IN SPICY SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Bake the eggplant in the preheated oven until very soft and easy to mash, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let cool enough to handle, 15 to 20 minutes. Peel and mash or blend it in a food processor; keep aside.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan over medium heat. Add chile peppers, Bengal gram, and coriander. Saute until golden brown, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool, 10 to 20 minutes. Grind into a fine powder.
• Heat remaining oil in the pan and add mustard seeds. Add onion and saute until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in tamarind extract, turmeric, and powder mixture, adding water as needed if sauce is too thick. Bring to a boil; let simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in mashed eggplant; let simmer, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt. Serve hot.

INSTANT POT INDIAN SPICY EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Poke the eggplant 2 to 3 times on each side with a knife. Put the eggplant on the rack in a 6-quart Instant Pot® and pour 1 cup water into the pot. Follow the manufacturer's guide for locking the lid and preparing to cook. Set to pressure cook on high for 20 minutes (see Cook's Note).
• After the pressure-cook cycle is complete, follow the manufacturer's guide for quick release and wait until the quick-release cycle is complete. Being careful of any remaining steam, unlock and remove the lid. Remove the eggplant and rack. The eggplant should be completely soft and deflated. Set aside.
• Turn the pot to the high saute setting and when hot, add the oil. Stir in the curry powder, cumin and turmeric and cook until the spices are fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the onions to coat in the oil and spices. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are softened and slightly browned, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and stir to coat. Cook until the garlic starts to soften, 1 to 2 minutes more. Add the tomatoes and cook until the they break down and lose their structure, 6 to 7 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Cut the eggplant into chunks. Add the eggplant and peas to the pot and cook until completely warmed through, 2 to 3 minutes. Add additional salt to taste.
• Serve warm with rice if desired and sprinkle with cilantro and mint.

INDIAN-SPICED EGGPLANT

Steps:

• In a small bowl combine spices and in a measuring cup stir together water, sugar, and vinegar. Cut eggplant into 2-inch pieces.
• In a large heavy non-stick skillet heat butter over moderate heat until foam subsides and cook spices, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add eggplant and salt and toss to coat with spice mixture. Stir vinegar mixture and add to eggplant mixture. Simmer mixture, covered, without stirring, 10 minutes, or until eggplant is just tender. Uncover skillet and cook eggplant mixture at a rapid simmer, without stirring, until liquid is almost evaporated and eggplant is slightly charred (but not burned) on bottom, about 15 minutes.
• Remove skillet from heat and let eggplant stand, covered, 5 minutes.
• Serve eggplant sprinkled with fresh coriander.

SPICY EGGPLANT SLICES WITH VARIATION (INDIAN)

Steps:

• Make slits on the eggplant slices.
• Mix all the other ingredients ( spices) except the oil.
• Add about a tablespoon of water to wet the mix.
• Apply the spice mix on the eggplant slices.
• Add about a tablespoon of oil to the frying pan and fry a batch of the eggplant slices on one side.
• Turn over the eggplant slices and pour some more oil and fry.
• Complete with the remaining slices.
• Serve with Indian bread.
• Note: I try to use as much less oil as possible.
• Variation:.
• Cut up the eggplant into thin strips.
• Heat the oil.
• Put all the ingredients (except eggplant) and saute for 2-3 minutes.
• Add eggplant strips.
• Cook for about 15-20 minutes on fairly high heat. Stir in between so that nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan.
• Enjoy this easier version :).

INDIAN SPICED EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE)

Steps:

• Preheat broiler.
• Trim ends off eggplant and cut into 1/4" thick rounds.
• Spray cookie sheet with cooking oil.
• Place eggplant on cookie sheet and spray with cooking oil.
• Broil eggplant until tender and browned, about 3-5 minutes per side. Set aside.
• In a small bowl, combine the first 7 spices. In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add spice mixture and cook, stirring constantly, for about 30 seconds.
• Quickly add the onion and saute until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Add the tomato sauce or halved cherry tomatoes, molasses, garlic and vinegar. Cook the sauce, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Transfer eggplant to serving dish and pour sauce over. Top with chopped cilantro.

INDIAN-SPICED EGGPLANT STACKS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees with racks in top and center. Sprinkle eggplants generously with salt; arrange in a single layer on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Let stand 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a skillet over medium-high, toast cumin seeds until dark brown and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Finely grind in a spice grinder, or crush with a mortar and pestle. Stir together with 2 teaspoons oil, garlic, ginger, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Rinse eggplants; pat dry with paper towels. Brush baking sheet generously with oil. Brush eggplants on both sides with remaining oil; season lightly with salt. Arrange in a single layeron sheet and roast on center rack, flipping once, until tender and golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes. Spread about 1/2 teaspoon garlic-ginger mixture over each slice; roast 5 minutes more. Remove; adjust oven to broil.
• Divide yogurt among eggplant slices, spreading over tops. Top each with a tomato slice; season with salt. Broil on top rack until just beginning to brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Stack slices three-high, layering cilantro between each. Serve, garnished with more cilantro.