Ingredients
Scale
- 2 medium Italian eggplants, chopped into 2-inch pieces
- 4 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 6 tablespoons oil
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and grated
- 6 Thai green chilies, minced (or 2 jalapeño peppers, with seeds, minced)*
- 1/2 cup cilantro
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Boil the eggplant with the water, salt and turmeric for 20 minutes, until translucent.
- In a large skillet, heat the oil until sizzling. Fry the onions until slightly browned, then add the tomatoes and saute for 3-5 minutes on medium heat. Add the ginger, garlic and chilies and fry for another 7-10 minutes.
- Once everything has browned, add the eggplant and mash with a wooden spoon. Add sugar, salt and pepper, then cook for an additional 15 minutes, until a bit of oil begins to rise to the top of the mixture.
- Stir in the cilantro. Serve warm, with pita, pita chips or crackers.
Notes
- *Thai green chilis are small, skinny peppers that pack a hefty punch. Six of them in this recipe makes it quite spicy, which I liked because I thought it balanced the sweetness of the eggplant nicely. If you can’t handle a ton of spice, start with three and keep tasting and adding as necessary.