Curried Eggplant
This is a rich and creamy dish with a bit of a kick to the flavor. If you find it too hot, stir in a little yogurt to temper the spices. Serve with steamed basmati rice.
Ingredients:
2 pounds eggplant
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped yellow onions
1 cup chopped sweet peppers
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 cup grated ginger root
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cayenne or more to taste
lemon juice
yogurt (optional)
chopped basil or parsley
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Place the eggplants whole in a baking pan, prick them with a fork. Bake until very tender, about 40 minutes (smaller ones less time). Set in a drainer.
When cool enough to handle, peel the eggplant, discard any large seed pockets, and transfer the pulp to a strainer to get rid of excess moisture. Coarsely chop the eggplant or pulse quickly in a food processor.
In a medium pan over moderate heat, warm the olive oil and cook onions and sweet peppers until onions are translucent, about 7 minutes.
Add the garlic, ginger and spices and cook five minutes. Add the eggplant. Heat through and then season with salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste. Then add yogurt if the eggplant needs a smoothing out of flavor.
Garnish with chopped basil or parsley.
Serves 6
