Recipe: Indian Eggplant with Tomatoes and Onions



Indian Eggplant with Tomatoes and Onions

Indian cuisine is, hands down, my favorite food. I'm lucky, because most Indian recipes are wonderfully healthy: They're usually low in fat, loaded with non-starchy veggies, often vegan, and always flavorful.

My first Indian cookbook was Shehzad Husain’s “Healthy Indian Cooking,” and her take on this recipe was the first recipe I made from it. I’ve made several adjustments to the original recipe to make it more flavorful and easier to prepare, although you'll probably need to visit an Indian market (or shop online) to find black mustard seeds and neem leaves. It'll be worth the trip! If you prepare it, please come back and tell us how it goes, and what you think of it. I love hearing from you!

Indian Eggplant with Tomatoes and Onions

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons canola oil
2 yellow onions, quartered and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
6 curry leaves (neem leaves)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon bottled minced garlic
1 tablespoon bottled minced ginger
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 large eggplant, chopped in 1" cubes
1 cup water
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Directions:

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, mustard seeds, and curry leaves, and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes.

Add tomato paste, coriander, garlic, ginger, and lemon juice, and continue to cook, stirring often, for another 5 minutes, or until onions are soft.

Add eggplant, mix well, and cook for 2 minutes. Add water and cook for 3 - 5 minutes, until eggplant is just tender. Add cilantro, tomatoes, and red pepper flakes, and mix well. Cook until just heated through before serving.