Before leaving for our summer holiday in Australia, I had a lot of aubergines in the garden and needed to find ways to use them, hence the reason for another post featuring them as the main ingredient.
Hamilton Island, Qld Australia, August 2016
This is roasted eggplant with spice-infused ghee, braised tomatoes, yoghurt, and fresh coriander. I serve it as a side dish to any simple dal and grain, and it goes well with oven-roasted potatoes or as a dip with crunchy vegetables. Small cold cucumber slices are especially nice.
ROASTED AUBERGINE WITH YOGHURT & INDIAN SPICES
Inspired by The Vegetable Table by Yamuna Devi
Makes approximately 1½ cups
ingredients
1 large aubergine
⅓ – ½ cup Greek yoghurt
salt to taste
½ cup finely chopped fresh coriander
voggarane
1 Tbsp ghee/oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
⅛ tsp asafoetida powder
⅛ tsp red pepper flakes
¼ tsp turmeric powder
5 small cherry tomatoes, finely chopped
preparation
- Cook the aubergine over a gas flame or electric grill, as described in the recipe for baba ghanoush, until the skin blackens and blisters and the inside flesh is very soft, 10 – 20 minutes.
- Slit the eggplant, scoop flesh into a bowl, removing the charred skin; allow to sit in a strainer for a few minutes to allow the juice to leak out and drain away, as this is quite bitter. Once drained, place flesh into a bowl and mash with a fork.
prepare the voggarane
- Heat the ghee; when hot, add cumin seeds. Fry until golden, then add asafoetida, red pepper flakes, turmeric, and, within seconds, the tomatoes. Fry until the tomatoes are slightly broken down, 3 – 4 minutes, then add to the aubergine.
- Season with salt and stir in yoghurt and fresh coriander. Drizzle with ghee before serving, and garnish with more fresh coriander.
Serve warm or at room temperature with chapati or your favourite grain dish.
Goodness shared from Stacey
