serves
8
prep
10 minutes
cook
20 minutes
difficulty
Easy
serves
8
people
preparation
10
minutes
cooking
20
minutes
difficulty
Easy
level
Stream free On Demand
Freshly Picked with Simon Toohey
series • cooking
M
series • cooking
M
Ingredients
- 8 Sicilian eggplants or 5 medium regular eggplants (see Note)
- 6 tbsp mustard oil
- 1 tbsp black mustard seeds (yellow can be used instead)
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- ½ tsp nigella seeds
- 2 long dried red chillies
- ½ red onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
- 10 curry leaves
- 4 tomatoes, chopped
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- 1 tin chickpeas, drained
- Rice or naan bread, to serve
Instructions
- Cut into the eggplant into 2.5 cm cubes. Place 3 tablespoons of the mustard oil in a large heavy-based pan, and heat until just smoking. Add the eggplant and fry for 5-6 minutes, or until browned
- Remove from the pan and set aside on kitchen paper or baking paper. Add the remaining oil and then black mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, nigella seeds and dried chillies. Cook for a few seconds. Add the onion and, if your pan is too hot, a splash of water, then fry for a few minutes until they begin to colour around the edges.
- Add the garlic (if using) and curry leaves and cook for 10 seconds before adding the tomatoes. Cook for 7 minutes. Add the sugar and cook for a minute before adding back in the cooked eggplant. Add the chickpeas with 50 ml of water and cook, covered, for a further 5 minutes.
- Serve with naan and/or rice.
Note
Sicilian eggplants are a rounder, firm-fleshed eggplant, often with a lighter purple colour than some other varieties.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
Stream free On Demand
Freshly Picked with Simon Toohey
