When we were in Papua New Guinea last year I had a little cooking class with a friend of a friend where I learnt this dish. I’m not sure of it’s origins, and the serving with couscous was my added interpretation, making it quite middle eastern which I’m sure it’s not. Regardless, it’s yummy, it’s easy, it’s a good vegetarian option and something different to cook if you’re never quite sure what to do with eggplants (like me!)
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Ingredients
2 large eggplants
3 tablespoons curry powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 stock cube
1 teaspoon paprika
4 large chillies, chopped (red, green, however hot you like it)
Bunch of curry leaves
Juice of 1 lemon
Vegetable oil for frying
1 cup instant couscous
3 cups boiling water
Handful of almonds, chopped
Handful of dried apricots, chopped
Handful of fresh mint, chopped
Method
Cut the eggplant into bite sized chunks. In a large bowl cover the eggplant chunks in the half the lemon juice, toss so the eggplant is all a bit damp. Sprinkle the curry powder, cumin, ground coriander, paprika and crumbled stock cube over the eggplant, ensuring it is evenly covered. Throw the chopped chillies and curry leaves into the bowl, crunch up the leaves a bit to release their fragrance and flavour. Stir it all together and sit aside, covered, or in the fridge for a few hours or ideally overnight.
Heat oil in deep pan until quite hot, making sure it’s about half the depth of a piece of your eggplant (perhaps about 2 or 3cm). Fry the pieces of eggplant in batches, turning gently with a spoon, until golden and slightly crisped on the outside. Place on paper towel to drain off excess oil.
In a bowl cover your couscous with the boiling water, stir gently to combine, cover and set aside for 5 minutes. Meanwhile chop up your almonds, apricots and mint. Once your couscous is ready stir that all together. Serve eggplant atop couscous with extra mint.
Do you eat much eggplant?
Do much shallow frying?
Think this would be vastly improved with addition of spiced lamb and minted yogurt like my husband thinks? Hmmm…lamb…
