Recipe

Indian Rice With Eggplant

Indian Rice With Eggplant

  • Servings: 4
  • Total Time:

Golden, spiced and pan-fried eggplant tops our Indian flavored Jasmine Rice in a warming vegetarian dinner recipe.

Ingredients

  • 1 large eggplant, cut into 1″ chunks
  • 3 teaspoons fine sea salt, divided
  • 4 tablespoons grapeseed oil, divided
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 jalapeño or 2 serrano peppers, seeded and minced
  • ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
  • ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 sprig curry leaves, optional
  • 1½ cups Royal Jasmine Rice
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • Chopped cilantro

Instructions

  1. Place a colander in the sink and add eggplant. Toss with 2 teaspoons salt and let sit 30 minutes.
  2. In a medium saucepan heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium. Add garlic and peppers and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add mustard and cumin seeds and curry leaves, if using. Cook 1 minute. Stir in rice, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon turmeric and stir until rice is coated with spices. Stir in 2¼ cups water, bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to simmer until tender, 15 minutes.
  3. In a skillet heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium. Rinse eggplant and drain well. Blot dry with a kitchen towel. Place eggplant in skillet and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides and tender, about 10 minutes.
  4. To serve, toss rice with eggplant and top with cilantro