Anupama's Kitchen
Gluten Free Stuffed and Roasted Eggplants
Besides the big eggplants which we find in grocery stores, there are various varieties of eggplants which are available in Asian or Indian grocery stores. Do you wonder anytime how to use those small eggplants in dishes? The recipe here is one of the traditional Maharashtrian recipes from my family and I always like to prepare it when Indian eggplants are available in the market. It uses so much less ghee/oil but is still very flavorful with coconut and peanuts.
Prep Time
20 Minutes
Cook Time
20 Minutes
Serving Size
Serves 4
The Baby eggplants or Indian eggplants are small, oval, and approximately 4 to 6 inches with a dark purple color. We use them in any Indian dishes, but they are really great roasted and stuffed. Cooked and Roasted Indian eggplants have a mild flavor with sweet notes and a creamy texture. Thai eggplants are tiny, round, and greenish-white in color which I like to use in the dish with potatoes, green chilies, and some light spices.
Ingredients
- 6 Small Purple Indian or Green Thai Eggplants
- ¼ Cup Dry Roasted Crushed Peanuts
- 2-3 Green Chilies Finley Chopped
- ½ Cup Freshly Grated Coconut
- ½ Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- ¼ Teaspoon Cumin Coriander Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Lemon Juice
- 2 Tablespoons Chopped Cilantro
- Salt as Required
- 2-3Teaspoons Ghee
Instructions
- Preparing Eggplants:
- Wash eggplants under water and then cut the stalks on the top
- Using a paring knife, score the top part of the eggplant white portion with four grooves down the length of the eggplant and making sure not to cut through the whole eggplant.
- Preparing Stuffing:
- On low heat, in a heavy pan, add 1 teaspoon Ghee and let it melt.
- Add freshly grated coconut, crushed peanuts, finely chopped green chilies, turmeric, and cumin powder.
- Roast the mixture for 2 minutes by stirring on low heat. Please avoid it from burning.
- Once done, take the mixture from the pan and put it in bowl
- Stuffing Eggplants:
- Take each eggplant and carefully fill it with the stuffing which we prepared. You will be left with more than half of the stuffing which you keep it aside for future use.
- Roasting Eggplants:
- On low heat, in a heavy pan, add 1 to 2 teaspoons Ghee and let it melt.
- Add all eggplants in the pan and cover with a lid. Cook until each eggplant becomes soft and tender on one side.
- Then rotate each eggplant on the other side. Cover with a lid and let it cook till each eggplant becomes soft and tender on that side.
- Repeat the process till each eggplant is properly roasted and tender. Remove from the heat.
- Garnishing Dish:
- Put a nice amount of extra stuffing which we have on the plate and then add a stuffed and roasted eggplant on top of it and garnish it with chopped Cilantro. Serve hot with nan, rice or eat just as it is.