Spicy Seared Eggplant Recipes

SPICED SEARED EGGPLANT WITH PEARL COUSCOUS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine cinnamon, cumin, cayenne and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Heat a heavy pot (2 to 3 quarts) with a tight-fitting lid over medium until hot but not smoking. Add couscous and toast, stirring often, until golden and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Transfer toasted couscous to a bowl.
• Add oil to pot and raise heat to medium-high. When it shimmers, add eggplant, onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring often, until onions are softened and golden and the eggplant is browned and slightly shrunken, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic and stir just until fragrant.
• Add tomato paste and the prepared spice mixture and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in toasted couscous, tomato and 1 1/2 cups water, cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the couscous has absorbed all the liquid, 8 to 12 minutes. Turn off the heat and let rest 2 minutes. Uncover, stir in paprika and parsley, then taste and adjust the seasoning with salt. Serve immediately and dollop with yogurt, if desired.

SPICY GLAZED EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Toss eggplant with 1 teaspoon salt and drain in a colander, stirring occasionally, 45 minutes.
• Rinse eggplant under cold water and dry well, pressing out any excess moisture.
• Stir together mirin, soy sauce, ginger, and seven-spice powder.
• Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then sauté eggplant until browned, about 8 minutes. Stir in mirin mixture and cook, gently stirring and turning frequently, until sauce becomes a glaze and eggplant is browned and tender, about 1 minute.
• Serve hot or at room temperature, sprinkled with chives.

SPICY EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Sauce:
• Combine sauce ingredients in a small bowl; mix well.
• With a vegetable peeler, remove 1-inch strips of the eggplant skin, leaving a 1-inch strip of skin in between. Cut the eggplant into fourths lengthwise, then cut each section crosswise into 3-inch pieces.
• Pour enough oil into a 2-quart saucepan to fill 3 inches. Heat over medium heat to 350 degrees F. Deep-fry the eggplant batches until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain well on paper towels.
• Place wok over a high heat until hot. Add 1 tablespoon of deep-frying oil and swirl to coat the sides. Add the garlic, ginger, dried chiles and green onion; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add ground meat and cook, breaking up pieces with back of a spoon, until brown and crumbly. Add the sauce and bring to a simmer. Add the cooked eggplant and stir to coat. Scoop onto a warm serving platter. Serve, garnished with cilantro or green onions.

SPICY EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Combine sauce ingredients in a small bowl; mix well.
• With a vegetable peeler, remove 1-inch strips of the eggplant skin, leaving a 1-inch strip of skin in between. Cut the eggplant into fourths lengthwise, then cut each section crosswise into 3-inch pieces.
• Pour enough oil into a 2-quart saucepan to fill 3 inches. Heat over medium heat to 350 degrees F. Deep-fry the eggplant batches until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain well on paper towels.
• Place wok over a high heat until hot. Add 1 tablespoon of deep-frying oil and swirl to coat the sides. Add the garlic, ginger, dried chiles and green onion; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add ground meat and cook, breaking up pieces with back of a spoon, until brown and crumbly. Add the sauce and bring to a simmer. Add the cooked eggplant and stir to coat. Scoop onto a warm serving platter. Serve, garnished with cilantro or green onions.

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.

SPICY EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Cut eggplants crosswise into 1-inch-thick rounds. In a 5-quart heavy kettle heat 2 tablespoons oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and brown cut sides of eggplant in 2 batches (adding remaining 2 tablespoons oil before second batch), turning eggplant occasionally with tongs.
• In kettle combine eggplant and remaining ingredients. Simmer mixture, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until eggplant is very tender but not falling apart, about 15 minutes. With a slotted spoon carefully transfer eggplant to a bowl. Boil liquid remaining in kettle, skimming froth, until reduced to about 1/2 cup and add sauce to eggplant.
• Serve eggplant warm or at room temperature with some sauce and garnished with gingerroot, cilantro, and sprouts.

STEAMED EGGPLANT WITH SPICY PEANUT SAUCE

Steps:

• In a bowl, whisk together peanut butter, 1/3 cup water, soy sauce, sugar, lime zest, lime juice, sambal olek and garlic.
• Trim the ends of the eggplant. If using baby eggplant, peel them. Place in a steamer basket set over a pan of simmering water. Cover and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. (Alternatively, you can wrap the eggplants individually in parchment and microwave until tender, 3 to 4 minutes.) Halve eggplants lengthwise.
• Transfer eggplants to a platter, cut side up. Spoon peanut sauce over eggplant. Garnish with peanuts and scallions.

SPICY SESAME EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Heat broiler. Slice eggplant into 3/4-inch-thick rounds; cut each round into 3/4-inch-wide strips. Transfer to a broiler-proof rimmed baking sheet; toss with coarse salt and ground pepper.
• In a small bowl, combine sauce ingredients; drizzle over eggplant, and toss to coat. Spread in an even layer.
• Broil, tossing once, until eggplant is browned and tender, about 15 minutes.

SPICY EGGPLANT SAUTE

Steps:

• Heat olive oil and chili oil over medium-high heat. Add spices and stir. Add vegetables and stir. Cover and stir occasionally until onion is translucent, eggplant is tender, and green pepper is crisp-tender.

SPICY ROASTED EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a shallow baking pan with cooking spray.
• Toss eggplant with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper in the prepared baking pan. Cover with foil.
• Roast in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Remove foil and reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Add tomato sauce and cook for 15 more minutes.