An Easy Vegan Indian Eggplant Dish Everyone Will Love

Indian is the number one ethnic food of choice in our household. Heck, it’s just hands-down the number one food choice. Nearly every day of the week, the kids get home from school and ask if we can have (or they can make) Indian food for supper.

^^*Eggplant (also known as aubergine) is such a versatile ingredient/veggie/fruit/berry… whatever it is!*

Since she was 6 years old, my daughter has often been found reading an Indian recipe book before bed!! While I, on the other hand, had never tried Indian food until well into my 20s…

^^*Psssst… the cilantro is optional for those of you who are “supertasters” and opposed to this delicious herb 😉*

For the past few years, we’ve experimented will all sorts of Indian spices and combinations, different veggies and cooking methods. Below is our current favourite when it comes to eggplant (at an Indian restaurant, this dish would be called Baingan Bharta). It can be made all in one pan, or simply dump all ingredients into a slow cooker. So so simple and the flavours are mouth watering. Plus, if you buy loose produce and bulk refilled spices, it’s completely zero waste! Not to mention vegan and gluten free and absolutely loaded with health benefits (many Indian spices have anti-inflammatory properties!).

^^*Buy your produce “naked” and your herbs and spices in bulk to make this a truly zero waste meal*

INGREDIENTS

1 medium to large eggplant (size truly doesn’t matter in this case 😉 – cubed then soaked
1 medium sized onion, diced
1 tsp whole cumin seeds
1 or 2 Tbsp oil such as coconut or grapeseed, or ghee (note: ghee is not vegan)
2 or 3 tomatoes (or a large can of tomatoes), diced
1-2″ piece of ginger root, grated (no need to even peel it)
3 or 4 cloves garlic, minced finely
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne or chili flakes
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 – 3/4 c water

OPTIONAL ADD-INS

1 fresh chili pepper or jalapeno (depending on your preferred spice level)
10 or so mushrooms, cubed
1/2 – 1 c chickpeas
1/2 c bell pepper, cubed
asafoetida, just a pinch (also known as hing, this pungent herb supercharges the Indian flavours of your dish)
fresh cilantro to garnish

^^*Chop eggplant into cubes and soak – don’t discard the water!*

DIRECTIONS

Chop eggplant and soak cubes in a dish of lightly salted water for about 20 minutes. Strain eggplant and retain some of the soak water for later use — in this recipe, in a soup stock or to water your plants!
In a large skillet (ideally with a lid), over medium heat, melt oil/fat and add chopped onions, cumin seeds (plus mushrooms and/or asafoetida, if desired)
When onions are translucent, add all remaining ingredients.
Cover with lid (or a cookie sheet works too!) and let simmer over low-medium heat for 30 minutes or so, stirring occasionally.
Taste and adjust salt, spices to your liking. The final dish should be almost creamy in texture.
Serve over plain rice, as a chunky dip with naan/pita or homemade sourdough, or straight up on its own.