Eggplants, so happy in almond sauce…
I adore Indian eggplants, Japanese eggplants, Thai eggplants, Chinese eggplants, Korean eggplants, American eggplants, white eggplants, alright the bottom line I just love eggplants. I’ve gone crazy for almost all eggplant dishes, whether it’s eggplant rice, eggplant roast, grilled eggplant or stuffed eggplants.
This morning, I went for my weekend grocery shopping. I piled up my cart with fresh veggies, grains, chicken and some cosmetic stuffs too 🙂 This time I didn’t even look at the garden center as I cannot afford any more plants. After getting back home, first thing I had to do was cook some lunch for my starving hubby who looked so pale and exhausted. Well, I wasn’t in the mood for any major cooking, so whipped up chicken salad very quickly. After having lunch, I peeped into my refrigerator and my eyes fell on the gorgeous small eggplants. I couldn’t resist cooking with those right away. I took it out of the fridge and placed it on the island. I didn’t want to try any of the dishes that I had already tried. I got busy searching my pantry for some good ingredients to combine with eggplant. I kept looking at the jar of almonds and thought how about almond eggplant??? Sounded lil weird to me first, then this idea kept ringing in my head. Well, I went with my instinct, almond eggplant it is!!!
When the almond eggplant was all cooked to perfection, I couldn’t wait even for a minute to taste it. I did burn my tongue a bit, but it was worth it as this almond eggplant tasted delicious. I even gave some to my man who was busy watching TV, he tasted it and gave a thumbs up.
Eggplant in Almond sauce
Ingredients
- Small eggplant whole- 10
- Almond with skin, soaked in water- 1/2 cup
- Ground pepper- 1/4 tsp
To roast:
- Oil- 1 tbsp
- Ginger, chopped- 2 inch slice
- Garlic, chopped- 3 cloves
- Coriander seeds- 1 tbsp
- Cumin seeds- 1/2 tbsp
- Dry red chili whole- 2 or 3
For cooking:
- Oil- 2 tbsp
- Bay leaves- 2
- Cardamom whole- 3
- Cloves, whole- 3
- Cinnamon, whole- 2 inch slice broken to small
- Onion, chopped- 2 , large
- Yogurt- 4 tbsp
- Cilantro, chopped- 2 handful
- Salt- to taste
Instruction
- Soak almonds in water for 30 minutes or more.
- Use whole small eggplants, using a small knife make a slit on each eggplant. Make sure you don’t make the slit deep.
- Season the eggplant with 1/4 tsp ground pepper and salt.
- Place a large cooking pan over medium heat, add the seasoned eggplant in it, add 1/4 cup water and cook covered till eggplant are just tender. Don’t over cook it as we’ll be cooking it with the almond sauce later.
- Once the eggplants turn tender, transfer to a bowl and keep aside.
To roast and grind:
- Heat a small pan, add oil and add all the above mentioned ingredients to roast into the oil.
- Saute till ginger and garlic turns light golden in color.
- Remove from heat and let cool down a bit.
- In a blender, add the roasted spices along with the soaked almonds (I didn’t remove the skin, if you want peel off the skin), add some water and grind it to a smooth paste. Keep aside.
Making almond eggplant:
- Heat a large non-stick cooking pan over medium heat.
- Add 2 tbsp oil, add cardamom, cloves, bay leaves and cinnamon to the oil, saute for a couple of seconds.
- Add onions, 2 pinches of salt and cook covered till onions turn tender.
- Add the ground almond paste to the cooked onions.
- Add the yogurt as well to the pan.
- Add some water to thin down the sauce and cook for a few minutes.
- Now, add the cooked eggplants into the almond sauce and cook covered for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Add salt according to your needs.
- If the sauce thickens, add some water and cook.
- Occasionally, pour the almond sauce over the eggplants.
- We need the eggplants to be in shape so don’t over cook it in the sauce as it will fall apart.
- Taste, add more salt, ground pepper if required.
- Garnish with cilantro, cook for a second and remove from the heat.
- Keep aside covered for 5 minutes.
- Serve in a bowl, and garnish with whole almonds.
- This can be served with rice or roti.
Tips:
- Make this same dish with chicken instead of eggplant, I’ve tried it and it tasted delicious 🙂
Â
- Small eggplant whole- 10
- Almond with skin, soaked in water- ½ cup
- Ground pepper- ¼ tsp
- Oil- 1 tbsp
- Ginger, chopped- 2 inch slice
- Garlic, chopped- 3 cloves
- Coriander seeds- 1 tbsp
- Cumin seeds- ½ tbsp
- Dry red chili whole- 2 or 3
- Oil- 2 tbsp
- Bay leaves- 2
- Cardamom whole- 3
- Cloves, whole- 3
- Cinnamon, whole- 2 inch slice broken to small
- Onion, chopped- 2 , large
- Yogurt- 4 tbsp
- Cilantro, chopped- 2 handful
- Salt- to taste
- Soak almonds in water for 30 minutes or more.
- Use whole small eggplants, using a small knife make a slit on each eggplant. Make sure you don't make the slit deep.
- Season the eggplant with ¼ tsp ground pepper and salt.
- Place a large cooking pan over medium heat, add the seasoned eggplant in it, add ¼ cup water and cook covered till eggplant are just tender. Don't over cook it as we'll be cooking it with the almond sauce later.
- Once the eggplants turn tender, transfer to a bowl and keep aside.
- Heat a small pan, add oil and add all the above mentioned ingredients to roast into the oil.
- Saute till ginger and garlic turns light golden in color.
- Remove from heat and let cool down a bit.
- In a blender, add the roasted spices along with the soaked almonds (I didn't remove the skin, if you want peel off the skin), add some water and grind it to a smooth paste. Keep aside.
- Heat a large non-stick cooking pan over medium heat.
- Add 2 tbsp oil, add cardamom, cloves, bay leaves and cinnamon to the oil, saute for a couple of seconds.
- Add onions, 2 pinches of salt and cook covered till onions turn tender.
- Add the ground almond paste to the cooked onions.
- Add the yogurt as well to the pan.
- Add some water to thin down the sauce and cook for a few minutes.
- Now, add the cooked eggplants into the almond sauce and cook covered for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Add salt according to your needs.
- If the sauce thickens, add some water and cook.
- Occasionally, pour the almond sauce over the eggplants.
- We need the eggplants to be in shape so don't over cook it in the sauce as it will fall apart.
- Taste, add more salt, ground pepper if required.
- Garnish with cilantro, cook for a second and remove from the heat.
- Keep aside covered for 5 minutes.
- Serve in a bowl, and garnish with whole almonds.
- This can be served with rice or roti.
