facing my fears: eggplant

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Remember the amazing veggie box I received 2 weeks ago from Door to Door Organics?  I managed to eat through ALL of the delicious greens, but had one veggie still creeping in my fridge.

Eggplant.

Don’t worry, I had it in a Green Bag, so it was still fresh.  Those bags get mixed reviews, but for whatever reason, I have had success with them.

I’ve never had a lot of luck with eggplant.  Some people love it, but the texture has always gotten to me a bit.  However, there was no way this huge eggplant was going to waste, so I had to figure something out.  My brain finally started functioning [took awhile yesterday!] and I remembered a how to prepare eggplant post that Emily wrote awhile back.

I knew that if I followed her instructions and combined it in a curry dish, that would be my best chance for success!

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For some reason, eggplant sounded like it would pair well with curry.

The salting + soaking water method worked really well!

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Instead of roasting in the oven, I roasted it on the grill.  Are you surprised?

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I cooked the eggplant for a good 20-25min, until it was nice + charred.  And guess what?  I couldn’t keep my hands off of these little cubes!  The skin wasn’t tough and the simple flavors were great.  Instead of using a tasteless oil, I roasted them in coconut oil, which turned out to be a winning combination. 

The only complaint I have was that the eggplant was slightly bitter.  If I would plan to eat eggplant as a side dish, I might sprinkle with 1t sucanat before roasting along with the salt.  Or, I have heard that the smaller Japanese eggplants are much less bitter.

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Cooking with curry, always makes the house smell lovely.  It was worth sweating for.

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I served this heaping pile of curried veggies + chickpeas with perfectly cooked millet.   

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Curried Veggies with Roasted Eggplant + Chickpeas

*somewhat similar to my Curried Chickpea recipe, but with a simplified spice list + a few other changes

  • 1T sunflower oil
  • 1.5c cooked chickpeas [or 1, 15oz can]
  • 1 large eggplant
    • 1-2T coconut oil, melted
    • salt
  • 1 medium sweet onion, chopped
  • 1 large sweet bell pepper, chopped [or about 2c frozen bell pepper mix]
  • 1, 28oz can whole peeled tomatoes + juice
  • 1.5T curry
  • 1T fresh garlic, minced
  • 1/4t turmeric
  • 1/2t ground fenugreek
  • 1/4t coriander
  • 1/2-3/4t fine grain sea salt
  • black pepper
  1. Start by following Emily’s instructions for preparing roasted eggplant.  Roast in the oven or on your grill until charred.  Set aside.
  2. While the eggplant is roasting add the sunflower oil to a medium/large pot over medium heat.
  3. Once hot, add tomatoes + juices.  *Be careful because it will spatter!
  4. Stir and let simmer while you chop the onion + garlic. 
  5. Add onion, garlic, bell pepper, and all spices to the pot. 
  6. Stir, cover + reduce heat to simmer for 20min. *If cooking with millet, start cooking your millet now.
  7. Uncover, add chickpeas, stir + continue to simmer [uncovered] for 10min.
  8. Taste + add more salt/pepper if desired.
  9. Stir in eggplant and cook 5min longer.
  10. Top millet [or any other grain/pasta] with the veggie mixture.

*Feel free to use unrefined coconut oil instead of sunflower oil, or any other high heat oil.

*Want some heat?  Add cayenne or garam masala.

*I haven’t found ground fenugreek yet, but instead ground the seeds [?] into powder.

*This would be great eaten with quinoa, creamy coconut rice, or even pasta.

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The perfect finishing touch for this dish?

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A little coconut oil drizzled on top! 

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The roasted eggplant was a great addition to this meal.  It was actually, hardly even noticeable.  It took on the curry flavors fabulously and the skin was not tough to chew through.

Bursting with flavor, soft + crunchy textures, this meal was thoroughly enjoyed.  Another vegan + gluten free meal without even trying.

And best of all?  Major eggplant success! 

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It looks like I finished this post just in time for lunch…

I love LEFTOVERS!!!

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Guess what??  The generous people at Door to Door Organics are offering a 40% discount on your first bitty box veggie order, for Edible Perspective readers!  Check to see if they deliver in your area!  The discount total is $10.  If you want a larger box you will still receive the $10 discount.  Coupon Code:  edibleperspective

Ashley

p.s.  I cooked a HUGE batch of chickpeas yesterday and per many recommendations from you all, I froze 3 cups worth in their cooking water.  I’m excited to see how these taste in a week or two and will definitely keep you posted!  The only thing I found annoying about this method, was that you have to let the cooking water cool, to avoid the top popping off of the container.  I could have used freezer bags, but didn’t have any, and I imagine you would still want the liquid to cool.  Somehow, hot liquid in a plastic bag doesn’t sound like a great idea. ;) 

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