Simple + Healthy Roasted Eggplant Curry (Baingan Bharta)

April 1, 2012 by Leanne Vogel August 16, 2014

Simple and healthy baingan bharta, roasted eggplant curry. Tasty even for the eggplant haters… I promise!

Ingredients

• 2 medium-sized eggplants
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoon ghee – see note
• 2.5 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped fine (yield ~4 cups)
• 2 tablespoon diced garlic
• 2 tablespoon diced ginger root
• 2 cup diced tomato
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 tablespoon garam masala
• ½ teaspoon Himalayan rock salt
• ¼ cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro, divided
• 1 cup long grain brown rice, cooked according to package directions
• 4 gluten-free naan(optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425F. Slice the eggplant in half lengthwise and sprinkle with salt on the flesh. Place 4 drops of olive oil on the pan and rub the flesh in the oil. Place flesh side down on a baking sheet and roast for 25-30 minutes until the flesh is tender and the outside is a nice dark charred color.
2. Meanwhile, heat ghee and cumin seeds in a cast iron pan on medium-high heat. Cook for 1-2 minutes until toasted.
3. Add the onion, ginger and garlic and saute for another 8-10 minutes, until the onions are tender and translucent.
4. Add in the tomato, coriander, turmeric, masala and salt and cook another turn the heat to a medium low and allow it to cook about 5 to 10 minutes stirring often.
5. Once the eggplant is done, peel off and discard the charred skin, scoop the flesh into a bowl, roughly mash it, and add it to the stove top mixture. Cook for another 3-5 minutes, just until heated.
6. Sprinkle with half of the fresh cilantro, then throw it in your food processor and pulse. I like it a bit chunky still, so I didn’t pulse it too much.
7. Serve over rice with a sprinkle of fresh cilantro and a gluten-free naan.

Notes

To make vegan, replace ghee with coconut oil or grape seed oil.

Ghee is made from dairy, but all lactose and casein is removed in the clarification process. Use your own personal judgement when opting for a dairy-free diet. If you’ve chosen to omit, use vegan suggestion above.

Nutrition Information Per Serving