What’s in a name? Eggplant cooked 20 different ways…

I say  Brinjal, you say Eggplant or Aubergine

Brinjal or Aubergine or Eggplant as it is know in the US was an absolute favorite in my home. Over the years I have tried many recipes. Here is a compilation of some of the recipes I captured in my blog:

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1. Eggplant Curry South Indian Stylle
2. Eggplant and Pepper Soup
3. Eggplant and Tomato Gratin
4. Eggplant Involtini
5. Sicilian White Eggplant Caponata
6. Thai Baby Green Eggplant
7. Stuffed Eggplant
8. Eggplant Chutney South Indian Style
9. Eggplant Rice
10, Eggplant Curry
11. Stuffed Baby Eggplant South Indian Style
12. Eggplant Caviar
13. Quinoa Vangi Baath
14. Roasted Vegetable Lasagne
15. Grilled Ratatouille Salad
16. Curried Ratatouille Salad
17. Chickpea Ratatouille
18. Sri Lankan Aubergine Curry
19. Eggplant Curry
20, Bajji, Pakodi and hot cuppa tea

Best of 2015

I had a lot of fun in 2015 trying new recipes from around the world. There are many keepers in the list that i cooked over and over again, and I expect, will continue to do so.

Here are some of my most favorite recipes…

APPETIZERS & SNACKS

Baked Bajji

Baked Vada

GRAINS:

Quinoa Dosa

One-pot Mexican Quinoa

Mango Poha

Quinoa Vangi Bath

Cranberry Poha

BEANS & LENTILS

Cauliflower, Kale, Chickpea  Curry Pot

Black-Eyed Peas and Greens with Navrattan Spices

JAMS & JELLIES

Anise Flavored Kumquat Marmalade

DIPS & SAUCES

Sun-dried Tomato and Jalapeno Hummus

WRAPS & SANDWICHES

Edamame and Zucchini Wraps

CASSEROLE

Zucchini and Yellow Tomato Gratin

Spaghetti Squash Casserole

Spaghetti Squash Burrito Bowl

DESSERTS

Pumpkin Payasam

Cherry Swirl with Dark Chocolate & Cherry Bits

Baklava

BREADS, COOKIES & CAKES

Farro and Sun-dried Tomato Foccacia

Cherry and Cardamon Cake

Vegan Pumpkin Bread

Airplane Cookies

JUICES & SMOOTHIES

Watermelon Cooler

CURRIES & MORE

Tomato in Yogurt Sauce

Eggplant Curry with Onion

SALADS

Cherry and Avocado Salad

SIDES

Honey and Sriracha Roasted Brussels Sprouts

SOUPS

Vibrant Beets Soup

Mediterranean Grain Soup

WHAT’S POPULAR WITH YOU?

Amaranth Upma

Amaranth Dosa

Spicy Chickpea and Brussels Sprouts Soup

Valor Papdi Bean

Baked Bajji

Edamame and Zucchini Wraps

Quinoa Upma

Mango Carrot Muffins

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Quick Lunch Series: Quinoa Vangi Bath

I am a great proponent of one pot meals. So Vangi bath is great! It is even better if I can replace white rice with Quinoa.   This makes 2-3 servings if you are on a diet.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup quinoa
1 Japanese eggplant, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 small yellow onion sliced
1 jalapeno sliced
a touch of turmeric
a dash of asafoetida
1-2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1-2 tsp Vangi Baath mix or make your own
1-2 tbsp tamarind juice
1 tsp grated coconut
1-2 tsp toasted cashews or peanuts (optional)
Salt to taste
cilantro to garnish

Bring one cup water to boil and cook the Quinoa as per instructions. Set aside.

Meanwhile heat oil in pan. Add turmeric, asafoetida, cumin and fry for a minute. Add sliced onion and jalapeno and saute for 2-3 minutes until golden. Add chopped eggplant and fr for 10-15 minutes till cooked. Season with salt, add tamarind juice and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Season with Vangi bath mix or home made curry powder, grated coconut and mix well.

Combine with Quinoa, garnish with some chopped cilantro and top with some toasted nuts such as cashews or peanuts.

Serve warm.

See Also:

Vangi Baath

South Indian Eggplant Curry with Onion (Ulli Karam)

I don’t make this often, but here’s another variation to the Eggplant curry

Ingredients:

2 Japanese Eggplant
1-1 1/2  onion chopped
Cilantro, chopped

Seasoning:

2-3 tbsp (or as desired)  South Indian Curry Powder
turmeric
asafoetida
1-2 tbsp tamarind juice (or as desired)
Salt to taste
3-4 tbsp oil

Heat 1-2 tbsp of oil in a pan and add chopped onion and fry for 5-10 minutes, stirring as needed, until the onion are lightly browned. Transfer to the blender or food processor. Pulse gently to squash the onion.

Meanwhile, add 1-2 tbsp oil to the pan, turmeric, salt and add chopped eggplant and fry for 5-10 minutes, until browned. Transfer the onion to the pan. Add 1-2 tbsp tamarind juice. Mix well, cover with a lid and cook for 5-10 minutes.

Add South Indian curry powder as desired, season with some chopped cilantro and serve warm with some rice or roti.

You can also use this recipe with potatoes, tindora, chinese okra and more.

Eggplant and Pepper Soup

Mediterranean in May

I didn’t get to try all the recipes I wanted to in May. Further not all recipes were a success and hence I didn’t post them. While I might try more recipes from the book Vegetarian Times Cooks Mediterranean now and then, here is the last recipe I tried.

As always, I reduced the quantity and adapted it to my taste. Perfect for an office day meal with some croutons or garlic toasts.

Ingredients:

1 small eggplant, peeled and cubed
1/2 bell pepper, I used yellow, but can use green or red, diced
1/4 onion, dieed
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
3-4 tbsp olive oil
salt and fresh ground pepper
some dried rosemary
some dried thyme
fresh basil to garnish
1/2 quart water or broth
a few red pepper flakes

Heat 1-2 tbsp oil in a pan. Add cubed eggplant and fry on medium high for 15 minutes, stirring  until browned. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to paper towels.

Add 1-2 tbsp oil to the same pan, add peppers and onions an cook, stirring,  fry about 5 minutes until tender. Add minced garlic and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring as needed.

Add broth (or water), thyme, rosemary, eggplant, and bring to a boil. Reduce flame to low, and simmer, partially covered for 30 minutes.

Transfer to a blender or use a hand held blender to puree the soup. Return the soup to the pan, and heat for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add pepper flakes if using and garnish with mint or basil and serve warm with some garlic toasts.

Eggplant and Tomato Gratin

Mediterranean in May

I am always looking for new recipes that use Eggplant and hence I think I gravitated to recipes with Eggplant in the cookbook Vegetarian Times Cooks Mediterranean. This is an easy  recipe that can serve as a side or main dish.

Ingredients:

1 Japanese eggplant, thinly sliced
2 Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced (or I used sliced Jack cheese)
1 garlic clove
a few basil leaves
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and fresh ground pepper

Preheat the broiler.

Lay out eggplant slices on a baking sheet. Whisk together olive oil, garlic, vinegar and salt and pepper. Brush eggplant slices on both sides with the oil and vinegar mixture. Broil for 6 minutes on each side.

Lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees F.

Transfer the sliced eggplant to a baking pan.  Lay tomato slices, alternating cheese slices on top of eggplant slices. Sprinkle some salt and pepper. Bake for 15 minutes until the cheese is bubbly.

Garnish with fresh basil and serve warm.

I made a panini sandwich for lunch with left overs, the next day with olive bread, spinach and a sundried tomato and pepper sandwich spread, and that was yummy too!

Eggplant Involtini

Mediterranean in May

I’ve had the book: Vegetarian Times Cooks Mediterranean for a while, but haven’t cooked any recipes from it at all. In order to get fit and follow a Mediterranean diet, I am planning to try out recipes from this book during the month of May. I plan to adapt the recipes to my personal liking, so they will most likely never follow the original to a T. Also I might cut back the quantity to make only 1-2 servings.

Involtini in Italy means thin slices that are rolled with a filling. It can be slices of beef, pork or chicken. For a vegetarian, eggplant will do nicely 🙂

Ingredients:

1 medium eggplant
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/8 fresh parsley
a few chopped walnuts or pine nuts
1 tbsp plumped raisins
1/8 cup orange juice
1 garlic clove
salt to season

Preheat the broiler.

Thinly slice the eggplant lengthwise into 1/4 inch slices. Lay out on a clean towel, sprinkle with salt and let stand to allow juices to drain. Rinse the eggplant slices under cold water, pat dry and brush with olive oil on both sides. Broil about 3 minutes each side until slightly charred.

Meanwhile, mix bread crumbs, parsley,  nuts, raisins and garlic. Add orange juice, drizzle some olive oil and mix well.

Layout each slice of broiled eggplant on a flat surface, place 1/2 tbsp of filling on one end of the slice. Roll the slice, and place on a warm serving plate. Repeat for other eggplant slices.

Goes well as a side or an appetizer.

Adapted from the book Vegetarian Times Cooks Mediterranean.

Roasted Vegetable Lasagne

When I came across the original recipe in PBS Fresh Tastes, I was immediately interested in trying this out. This brought to mind ratatouille, which is one of my favorite recipes.  I like a colorful palate, and the contrast of colorful vegetables always excites me. Although this recipe is gluten free and vegan, you can easily use pasta and cheese if you so desire. You can use any mix of your favorite vegetables.

Here is how I made mine.

Ingredients

For the Tomato sauce:
4-6 ripe tomatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1/2 yellow onion chopped
2 garlic cloves chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste
salt and red pepper flakes to flavor

For the Lasagne
2 Japanese eggplants
2 Poblano peppers
1-2 red bell pepper
8-10 baby zucchini (you can also use 1-2 regular)
1/2 cup and a little more cashews
1 tbsp yeast
a pinch of nutmeg
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

The day before you plan to make the lasagne, soak the cashews in some water and place in the refrigerator.

To make the tomato sauce, bring a large pot of water to boil. Immerse the tomatoes and leave for 5-10 minutes. Remove from stove, rinse with cold water and peel off the skin. Set aside.

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. Thinly slice the eggplant, zuchini,  and peppers. Lightly toss in oil and fresh ground pepper. Lay out two trays and line the sliced vegetables. Roast in oven for 10-15 minutes. This gets rid of excess water in the vegetables.

Meanwhile, heat some oil in a pan on the stove. Add chopped onion and garlic and fry till translucent. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, salt and red pepper flakes. Mix and let simmer for 10-15 minutes until the sauce thickens.

To make the white sauce, add soaked cashews to a blender, adding about 1/4 cup water ( a little more if necessary) and blend until smooth. Season with salt, yeast and nutmeg and pulse until smooth.

To make the lasagne, add half the tomato sauce to a baking pan. Lay out in layers, roasted eggplant, poblano peppers, and zucchini. Add another layer of tomato sauce and lay out more vegetables. Add a layer of white sauce. The white sauce in this recipe, is sufficient for one layer in a 9×4 baking dish. The only thing I would change if I make this again is to make more tomato sauce and to use 2 red bell peppers. I suggest using 8-10 tomatoes. Can add any left over sauce here. Pile alternately red bell peppers and zucchini on top.

Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Bake lasagne for 30-40 minutes until most of the moisture evaporates and it is cooked.

Serve warm. Makes 2-3 servings. Delicious!

Sicilian White Eggplant Caponata

I had some white eggplant, basil, parsley, and tomato from my patio garden. I typically like to cook them stand-alone or minimally mix them with other ingredients that are store bought. I’ve never made Caponata, but considering the fresh ingredients I had in my patio garden it was the best to try. This is loosely based on this recipe.

Ingredients:
2-3 medium white eggplant
1-2 tomatoes
1/4 cup green olives
1-2 tbsp capers
1 small onion
1 jalapeno
1 tbsp chopped basil
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1tbsp red wine vinegar
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sugar
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cube the eggplant. Toss with some olive oil and salt and layout on a baking sheet. Roast for 15-20minutes.

Meanwhile in a frying pan, add olive oil and chopped onions and jalapeno and fry for 5 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes and fry for another 5 minutes.Add olives, capers, basil and parsley and continue frying. Add salt, fresh ground pepper and red wine vinegar and continue to simmer.

Add roasted eggplant and toss until mixed. Garnish with some basil and parsley and serve warm with some crusty bread.

Grilled Ratatouille Salad

Ratatouille is by far my favorite one-pot dish. I love the myraids of colors and flavors. There are so many different recipes out there. All of them delicious.

This one is adapted from Marc Matsumoto.

Ingredients:
1-2 graffiti or Japanese eggplant thinly sliced
8-10 mini zucchini sliced
10-12 cherry tomatoes sliced
1/2 red onion sliced
2-3 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp fresh fresh thyme
1 tbsp fresh basil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt and fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Layer sliced vegetables on a flat pan. Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes. Or alternately grill until lightly golden.

Meanwhile for the dressing, add some olive oil, garlic, thyme,basil and balsamic vinegar and pulse in a food processor.

Layer the grilled or roasted vegetables on a plate. Drizzle some dressing and serve warm!

See Also:
Curried Ratatouille
Chickpea Ratatouille