I love this recipe so much because, when I follow it, it turns out perfectly. I’ve had to make some adjustments to the original recipe I found, of course, and I’m happy to share this with you now. I would consider this dish to be spicy, but not excessively so. If you find the spice to be a bit much for your palate, top with a dollap of plain yoghurt or sour cream to cool it when serving. I most recently made this dish for a Christmas Turkey Curry Buffet where some of my guests were vegetarian/vegan. Enjoy!!

Ingredients

1 eggplant

2 tbsp cooking oil

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1 medium onion, sliced

1 tsp chopped fresh ginger

1 large tomato – peeled and diced

2 cloves crushed garlic

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Salt/pepper to taste

Optional – plain greek fat free yogurt or sour cream to garnish

1. Preheat oven to broil. Rub oil on the outside of the egg plant. Place under the broiler on a tray, and cook until the flesh is soft and the skin is blistering off. Each time, I’ve set the timer for 30 minutes and that has been perfect. Turn once about every 10 minutes for even cooking. The eggplant is so juicy, that I suggest putting the cooked eggplant in a bowl to cool, peel, then roughly chop. Preserving the juices from the eggplant improves the quality of this dish.

2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cumin seeds, and let them crackle for a few seconds and turn golden brown. Add the onion, ginger and garlic; cook and stir until onions are just translucent. Stir in the tomato, and season with turmeric, ground cumin, ground coriander, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper. Cook and stir for a few minutes.

3. Add eggplant to the skillet, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes so some of the moisture evaporates. Taste, and adjust seasonings if desired. Garnish with fresh cilantro, and serve.