Eggplant also called “Brinjal” in South Africa can be added to other main dishes like fish curry or simply cooked on its own to make a delicious vegetarian dish. It can be served on brown/white rice or with roti. You may also serve this dish with dhal and other vegetarian dishes to make a small vegetarian feast.
One of the key ingredients is tamarind and you may use this in whichever form is available you. They come in a paste or pods - just be sure to soak the tamarind in a bowl with a little bit of hot water to soften the flesh off the seeds (I use water from a kettle of water that was just boiled). The tamarind gives the curry a partly tangy taste. As the water cools a bit you can poke, prod or squeeze the flesh and juices off the seeds. When you add this to the dish you will only be adding the water and discarding the solids.
Eggplant comes in all shapes and sizes and while it’s good to purchase young ones if possible, I have made this dish with one giant eggplant. So giant it could be a cartoon character :) I typically use what's available to me. I weighed one of these and it came out to 16 oz.
Cut into about 2 inch cubes and soak them in some lightly salted water until you are ready to use them. This will prevent them from turning color. As part of my preparation I blend the tomatoes, garlic and ginger together.
The rest of the steps are pretty basic. Use a large flat pan or pot so the eggplant pieces can cook in a single layer. Be very careful when mixing or flipping - you don’t want to make the eggplant mushy.
Cook until the eggplant is tender but still holds its shape. I flipped these about half way through to ensure even cooking. Enjoy!
Eggplant in a mouthwatering tamarind tomato curry recipe
Yield ~ 4 servings
Prep time ~ 5 min
Cook time ~ 28 min
Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive/ vegetable oil
1 medium onion (diced into small cubes)
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 Thai green chili (finely sliced)
3 Tbsp Durban red masala/red curry power
~ 16 oz eggplant/ brinjal (cut into 2 inch cubes and soak in some salted water)
3 large tamarind pods or 2 Tbsp tamarind paste
salt to taste
1/2 cup hot/boiling water
3 large Roma tomatoes (blended or grated)
4 large cloves garlic (pressed or blended into the tamatoes)
1/2 tsp ground ginger
Method
Place the tamarind (peeled if using pods) in a small bowl and cover with the half cup of boiled water. Let soak, poking and squeezing the juices into the water as it cools.
Heat a flat pan or pot on medium heat and add the oil.
Add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Let fry for a couple minutes until the mustard seeds begin to pop.
Add the onions and fry until translucent and soft ~ 5-7 min.
Add the green chili and fry for about a minute.
Add the Durban red masala/red curry powder and cook for about 2 minutes mixing frequently being careful not to burn.
Add the tomatoes, ginger and garlic. Mix and cook uncovered for about 5 min stirring occasionally. Add salt to taste (I used about 1.5 tsp for this quantity).
Drain the water from the eggplant pieces and place the eggplant in the pan in a single layer.
Squeeze the tamarind solid pieces to release juices into the water. Discard the solids and pour the water (packed with flavor) over the eggplant.
Let cook partially covered for 8 min and carefully flip the eggplant pieces.
Continue to cook partially covered until cooked through and tender but not mushy. The shape should still hold ~ 5 min.
Switch off and cover until ready to serve. Serve hot with rice or roti. Best served with a side of dhal.
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