[Indian Recipes] Baked Eggplant with Indian Spices

Hey Everybody! How are you all doing?

I am happy to tell you all I am still making, eating and loving salads! I have been making sure that I put together a big bowl of salad every day for lunch. If I don’t finish it, I eat it for dinner too. I am not living only on salads, though some days it’s so filling and comforting that I don’t really crave for anything else. Baked Eggplant with Indian Spices have been quite warm which was perfect for salad.

Yesterday I had great salad idea in mind but I woke up to a very gloomy rainy morning which totally called for something warm, spicy and comforting. When the weather is like this, when it’s not really a day for salads but you still want to get your dose of veggies, it’s the day for baked vegetables!

I made this delightful baked eggplant with some lovely Indian flavors. It’s simple and easy but the end product is fabulous. Eggplant is marinated with yogurt, Indian spices and then baked to soft, smoky perfection! Serve topped with some freshly chopped tomato, onions, cilantro and a generous squeeze of lime.

It is the ultimate comfort food which is not just tasty but also healthy.

Notes:

Use non-dairy yogurt for a vegan version of this recipe.

Spices I have used are what I had on hand, go ahead and experiment with other combinations. You can add more flavor to it but adding ginger garlic paste. If you don’t like/have any one of the spice powders just skip it, it will not harm the taste.

I have used a local variety of green eggplant. You can use any other eggplant you like.

You can make it with smaller eggplants and serve it as an appetizer.

Serve the eggplant by itself like how i did or pair with with some Indian flat breads or rice If you want a more filling meal.

Ingredients:

1 medium round green eggplant
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup finely chopped onions
1 tsp finely chopped cilantro

For the spice paste
2 tbsp yogurt
1/4 tsp each of turmeric, chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, amchur(dry mango powder), gharam masala,

Instruction

Combine all the ingredients for the spice paste, mix well and keep it aside. You can taste the paste and add more salt or spice to suit your taste.

Using a sharp knife cut slashes into the flesh diagonally. You should cut down to about 1/2″ from the skin. Don’t cut all the way through. Then cut slashes diagonally in the opposite direction. Apply the spice paste on it generously. Using your fingers try to fill the spice into the slashed flesh as much as possible. Let it marinate for 15 to 20 minutes.

Pre heat the oven at 150 degree celsius.

Place the marinated eggplant on a baking tray with the cut side up. Drizzle with the olive oil and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. The baking time depends on the size of your eggplant. When the eggplant looks golden on top and is soft when pocked with a knife/toothpick it’s ready.

To serve place it on a plate, top it with finely chopped onions, tomatoes, cilantro and fresh lime juice.

This recipe and image sources are referred in website: Lovefoodeat.com. Thanks so much!