Spiced Peppers And Eggplant Recipes

SPICY STIR-FRIED EGGPLANT AND PEPPERS

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a stir-fry pan. Add the garlic and sauté over medium-low heat until golden.
• Cut the Japanese eggplants into 1/4-inch thick slices. Or, if using regular eggplant, quarter lengthwise, then into 1/4-inch thick slices.
• Add the eggplant and bell peppers to the pan, followed by the wine, hoisin sauce, ginger, and soy sauce. Cook, covered, over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until the eggplant is nearly tender. Lift the lid once or twice during that time to stir.
• Stir-fry, uncovered, for 5 minutes longer, or until the eggplant is just tender.
• Season to taste with soy sauce and spicy seasoning.
• Serve at once with hot cooked rice or noodles with either or both of the optional garnishes.

SPICED PEPPERS AND EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, coriander, cumin, and saffron, if using; cook, stirring often, until garlic is softened, about 4 minutes. Add sweet peppers and eggplants; season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing occasionally, until vegetables are tender, 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and add vinegar. Just before serving, add basil and toss to combine.
• DO AHEAD: Vegetables can be cooked 4 days ahead. Cover; chill. Bring to room temperature before adding basil and serving.

SPICED EGGPLANT-STUFFED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Prick both eggplants several times with a fork; place on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast 30 to 35 minutes or until soft all over when touched. Cool about 15 minutes or until easy to handle. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F.
• Meanwhile, drain liquid from canned tomatoes into bottom of a 3-qt. baking dish. Add minced garlic, 1½ teaspoons of the cumin, and ¼ teaspoon each of the paprika and coriander; mix well.
• Coarsely chop drained tomatoes; spread half of the tomatoes in baking dish. Place the remaining tomatoes in a medium bowl.
• Peel and coarsely chop eggplants. Add eggplants, chickpeas, onion, and chopped garlic to bowl with tomatoes. Stir in the remaining 1 teaspoon each cumin, paprika, and coriander.
• Cut off pepper tops and set aside; remove seeds and membranes. Spoon eggplant mixture into peppers. Place peppers in the baking dish.
• Bake 30 minutes. Place tops on peppers; bake 30 minutes more or until peppers are tender and tops start to brown. Serve warm or at room temperature with pan sauce on the side.

SZECHUAN SPICY EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Remove the eggplant stem and cut into 1-inch cubes. In a medium bowl, combine the soy sauce, chicken stock, chili sauce, sugar, ground black pepper and oyster sauce. Stir together well and set aside. In a separate small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water, and set aside.
• Coat a large, deep pan with cooking spray over high heat and allow a few minutes for it to get very hot. Saute the garlic, half of the green onions, ginger and dried shrimp, if using (see Cook's Note) for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until they begin to brown. Stir in the ground beef or pork and cook for 3 more minutes, again stirring constantly, until browned.
• Pour the eggplant into the pan and stir all together. Pour the reserved soy sauce mixture over all, cover the pan, reduce heat to medium low and let simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. If you're using fresh shrimp, add it during the last few minutes of cooking. Stir in the reserved cornstarch mixture and let heat until thickened. Finally, stir in the rest of the green onions and the sesame oil.
• Serve over hot rice.

SPICY RED-PEPPER AND EGGPLANT CONFIT

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.
• Cut peppers into 1-inch pieces. Toss together all ingredients in a large roasting pan, then spread evenly. Roast, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very tender, about 1 hour. Cool before serving.

SPICY SEARED EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Sprinkle the eggplant slices with salt, place in a colander set over a bowl, and let stand for 30 minutes. Rinse eggplant and pat dry.
• In a small saucepan over medium heat combine shallots, garlic, sugar, vinegar, red-pepper flakes, and 3 tablespoons water. Bring to a boil, cook 1 minute, and remove from heat. Stir in raisins, capers, olives, and 1/4 cup of olive oil; cool to room temperature.
• Heat grill to high and brush grates with vegetable oil. Brush eggplant with remaining 4 teaspoons olive oil. Cook eggplant until charred and tender, turning over halfway through, about 10 minutes.
• Arrange eggplant on platter and spoon shallot mixture over top. Cool to room temperature and serve.

STUFFED PEPPERS WITH EGGPLANT AND CHEESY RICE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Cut off the tops of each pepper. Pull out the ribs and seeds and discard. Discard the stems and dice the pepper tops. Set aside. Lightly trim the bottoms of each pepper so they can stand up.
• Stand the peppers up on a baking sheet or large skillet and drizzle with oil. Season with salt and pepper then roast until they begin to soften, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Heat the oil in a medium saucepot over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, jalapenos and onions and cook until the onions are translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the diced pepper tops and eggplant and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften and begin to caramelize, about 3 minutes. Stir in the rice and mix to combine. Add the wine and cook until it is reduced by half, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 2 cups water and the crushed tomatoes and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until the rice is creamy and al dente, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Remove the saucepot from the heat and stir in the mascarpone and basil. Taste for seasoning, adding additional salt and pepper if needed.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees F. Fill each pepper with the rice mixture, then stand them up on the same baking sheet or large skillet and top with the mozzarella. Bake until the cheese is melted and the peppers are cooked through, about 5 minutes. Serve topped with more torn basil and a drizzle of oil.

SPICED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Roast peppers in a 400 degree oven until blackened on all sides. Remove from oven to a plastic bag and allow to cool. Peel, seed and slice peppers, reserving juice. Place peppers with juice in a bowl and add cumin, red pepper flakes, garlic and salt to taste. Let stand for 1 hour, covered at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours. Allow to come to room temperature before serving. Serve with spicy sausages or barbecued meats.

SPICY BRAISED PEPPERS AND EGGS

Steps:

• In a large straight-sided skillet, heat oil, cumin, garlic, and chile over medium-high until fragrant, 1 minute. Add peppers and onion; season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in cherry tomatoes and 3/4 cup water; season.
• Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until tomatoes burst and peppers are tender, about 10 minutes. Uncover and simmer until liquid has reduced slightly, 3 to 4 minutes more. Make 4 indentations in mixture with the back of a spoon; crack in eggs. Season with salt and cover; cook until eggs are just set, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat; sprinkle with fresh herbs and serve over strained yogurt.

SPICY EGGPLANT AND CAPSICUM (BELL PEPPER) CHUTNEY

Steps:

• Place the eggplant in a large colander, sprinkle with the salt and toss to combine. Place the colander in the sink and stand for 1 hour for the eggplant to degorge. Rinse the eggplant well and pat dry with paper towel.
• Combine the eggplant, capsicum, onions, dates, vinegar, brown sugar, chillies, garlic and cumin seeds in a large heavy-based saucepan (about 4-litre/16-cup capacity). Stir over high heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and boil gently, stirring occasionally, for 1 1/2 hours or until all the excess liquid has evaporated and the mixture is thick. Stir the chutney more frequently towards the end of cooking.
• Remove the saucepan from the heat and stand for 2-3 minutes. Stir and then ladle into hot sterilised jars. Seal tightly and turn upside down for 2 minutes. Invert and allow to cool. Label, date and store in a cool dark place for at least 1 month before using.
• Serve with aged cheddar on crusty bread, with Indian curries, on roast beef sandwiches, with roast vegetables or pork, or add a spoonful to chunky vegetable soups.
• This chutney will store in a cool, dark place for 6 months. Once opened, keep in the fridge for up to 8 weeks.

SPICY ROASTED RED PEPPER AND EGGPLANT SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425F/220°C.
• While the peppers and eggplant are roasting, chop your onions and fresh chili (if you are using a fresh chili). Throw away the seeds and pith of the chili, and remember to only use half. Set aside.
• Put the eggplant and the bell peppers on a baking tray. To prevent exploding, poke a few holes in the eggplant, and one small slit in each pepper, facing up (while the peppers cook, they will fill with juice, and you don't want it to leak out).
• Roast them in the oven for about 40 minutes, until the eggplant is soft. Allow to cool enough to touch.
• Carefully put the peppers in a bowl, saving as much juice as possible, and cut in half. Peel away and discard the skin, seeds and pith.
• Cut the eggplant in half, and use a spoon (a grapefruit spoon works amazing for this if you have one!) to scoop out the flesh into the bowl with the red pepper flesh.
• Put the olive oil in the soup pot on low heat, and add the onions. Cook until soft, but not browned.
• Add the hot chili or chili powder, and cook for few quick minutes.
• Add the eggplant, red peppers, thyme, and paprika, and stir.
• Add about three quarters of the stock (enough to cover the contents of the pot), and simmer for about 20 minutes.
• In a few batches, puree the soup in a blender until smooth (you need to use a second pot to keep the pureed and un-pureed soup separate).
• Add more stock to adjust the consistency if you need to.
• Add salt, black pepper, small amounts of oregano and coriander, and more of the other spices and thyme to taste. Add a small dash of lime juice as well.
• Serve hot with a spoonful or two of fresh cream on top, and a spoonful of chopped scallions.