Eggplant Curry

Submitted by Rita1652

"An Indian dish that is so full of flavor. Serve over rice or with Roti. If not using baby eggplant just cut into large pieces and coat but being careful when cooking so they don't dissolve into the sauce. Tofu can be used in addition or substitution. Serve with recipe #55617 Take a look at this thread http://www.recipezaar.com/bb/viewtopic.zsp?t=226782 for step x step of making this."

 

• Ready In: 45mins
• Ingredients: 16
• Serves: 4-6

ingredients

• Masala paste

• 1 small yellow onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 inches fresh ginger, coarsely chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• 1 tablespoon garam masala
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon canola oil

• Main Ingredients

• 6 eggplants (baby or Indian)
• 15 ounces diced tomatoes (canned or 2 large tomatoes)
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• chopped cilantro leaf (to garnish)
• 2 tablespoons canola oil

• Spices for cooking

• 1⁄2 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon paprika (Hot smoked or sweet your choice)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

directions

1. In a blender, combine the ingredients for the masala paste blend it to a smooth paste; set this masala paste aside.
2. Cut into the baby eggplants up to about 1/4 inch from the stem, without breaking up the stem, into roughly lengthwise quarters gently separate at the slits, while holding the stem tight, and slather on the masala paste into the slits of the eggplant, in a thin layer, taking care not to break apart the eggplant; set aside. Or use the long thin eggplant cut into 1 inch slices and make a cut halfway through to slather the masala into and on the slices.
3. Heat 2 Tbsp of oil in a pan, add the diced onions and a pinch of salt and any remaining marsala paste left over after coating the eggplants; saute till onion turns translucent about 4-5 minutes.
4. Add the diced tomatoes and the rest of the spices, stir till well-incorporated.
5. Season with salt to taste.
6. Gently place the 'stuffed and coated' eggplants into the sauce so they are mostly submerged, cover and let it simmer over medium low heat till eggplant changes color and is cooked through but not mushy about 20 minutes.
7. Add a little water if there is not enough moisture for cooking, try not to stir at this point as the eggplants might fall apart.
8. When tender stir gently, garnish with cilantro and serve warm with roti or naan or over basmati rice.

Reviews

[Serapheve]

Totally yummy! :) Would have liked it a little spicier but Im south east asian. Im used to Indian food and this was really good! It grows yummier with every bite! Thanks Rita!! :)

 

[CaliforniaJan]

I made this for the Best of tag game and we loved it. Rita is right, it is full of flavor and the aroma is fantastic. We served it with Naan and it was a wonderful meal. I used half the cayenne and that was plenty of heat for us. Thanks for posting this delicious dish.

 

[sarahdn]

This is really good and easy to make! It's hard to get little eggplants where I live, so I used a big one cut into cubes, stirred in the masala paste, and let it marinate while preparing the rest. Delicious!

 

[magpie diner]

Not sure where my original review disappeared to, but I made this a few weeks back and want to make sure my 5 stars get posted here! I really loved this dish. Love working with eggplant, and this curry was so easy. The gravy is creamy and delicious. Maybe a smidge more sweet than I would have liked, but that's about it. Made excellent leftovers, I served it to my mum and she thought it was delicious. I had some trouble figuring out how the eggplant were meant to be cut so I just chopped into bite-sized pieces and left them to sit with some salt in a colander for about 20 minutes before using, which I always do with eggplant to remove any bitterness. Thanks Rita!

 

[Notingham Kathleen]

This was ace, and very easy. I couldn't get baby aubergines and, due to my laziness, skipped the stuffing part. Still turned out brilliantly. Thanks for a great post, I will be making this again soon.