Malabar eggplant — crispy eggplant in a shredded coconut crimson chili curry sauce — is a scrumptious introduction to the deep flavors of South Indian Malabar delicacies. Serve it with naan or flatbread and a few dal for a veggie-packed meal that’s additionally full of taste!
Some veggies will be tough to love when made merely. Eggplant is a kind of. This Malabar eggplant is full of taste and texture and could be very versatile. You possibly can bake the eggplant or pan fry it. And you’ll even use different veggies as an alternative, like cauliflower.
Malabar delicacies is a mixture of a number of regional cuisines in Southern India. It’s closely influenced by coastal and Kerala delicacies together with the numerous different close by areas, due to the area being a significant commerce route. Kerala was thought-about “the spice backyard of the traditional world,” as a result of it produced flavorful spices like cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, turmeric, and pepper.
Commerce, migration, and invasion has introduced influences from Center Jap, Mediterranean, Malaysian, and different cuisines to Malabar.
If you wish to discover Malabar delicacies additional, additionally take a look at my Malabar veggie curry and Pahadi curry, which each use the superb flavors of that area.
However again to this eggplant.
The opposite day I had plenty of eggplant available, so I made a decision to make a Malabar-style eggplant. Often I exploit cauliflower on this recipe, however you possibly can mainly use whichever vegetable you will have helpful. The entire taste is within the batter, and that batter is tremendous scrumptious. After battering and baking or frying the veggies, you toss them on this straightforward sauce and serve with some tofu curry or dal. You can even substitute half the eggplant with tofu to ale this right into a meal!
The sauce for Malabar eggplant is on the dry facet. If you wish to make the dish saucier, you possibly can add in some coconut milk. The sauce may also be quite sizzling, so modify as wanted based mostly in your warmth choice.
🍆 Why You’ll Love Malabar Eggplant
- melt-in-your-mouth eggplant coated in a flavorful, crispy-crunchy batter
- extremely shredded coconut curry sauce with choice to make it even saucier!
- versatile! Make it with eggplant or cauliflower or protein like tofu or seitan or soycurls and modify flavors and textures to style.
- naturally gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free
Stop your display screen from going darkish
First, make the eggplant.
-
Chop the eggplant, if you have not already, after which soak it in 4 or 5 cups of water with a teaspoon of salt, in order that the cubed eggplant does not brown, and it’ll crisp up higher whenever you pan fry or bake it.
-
Make the batter: Add the rice flour, cornstarch, chili, herbs, spices, and salt to a bowl and blend nicely. Then, add the oil and 1/4 cup of water. Combine nicely, including extra water a tablespoon at a time till you will have a easy batter that’s barely extra free than a paste. Then, add the eggplant to the bowl, and toss nicely to coat. If the batter is just too thick to coat the eggplant, you possibly can sprinkle in additional water whereas mixing, in order that it coats the eggplant rather well.
-
To Bake: Unfold the eggplant on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 415° F (213° C) for 15 to twenty minutes. To Pan Fry: Add 2 teaspoons of oil to a big skillet over medium-high warmth. As soon as sizzling, add the eggplant and cook dinner till many of the edges of the eggplant are crisp and golden, and the insides are cooked. Remember to flip sometimes and get all sides of the cubes cooked and crispy, about 8 to 10 minutes. Put aside.
In the meantime, make the sauce.
-
Add the teaspoon of oil to the skillet over medium warmth, and as soon as the oil is sizzling, add the mustard seeds. Allow them to begin to pop, then break the crimson chilies in half and add them to the skillet. Add the curry leaves, as nicely, and blend rapidly, then add the onion and an excellent pinch of salt. Cook dinner till the onion is translucent, stir sometimes (4-6 minutes). then combine within the Kashmiri chili powder and coconut, and proceed to cook dinner for one more 2 to three minutes.
-
Fold within the baked or pan-fried eggplant. You can even add splashes of lime juice, if the skillet is drying out an excessive amount of. Prime with the inexperienced onion, cilantro, and lime juice, and serve this instantly as a facet or as an appetizer with flatbread, naan, or tortillas, or as a part of a ramification with dals or tofu curries.
Make this with cauliflower. The baking time for the cauliflower goes to be round 25 to Half-hour. If you wish to pan fry the cauliflower, you must pre-cook it by steaming it till it’s al dente, after which coat it with the batter and pan-fry it.
Add Tofu: use 7 oz further agency tofu(pressed and cubed) and a couple of cups eggplant or simply tofu(14oz), bake 20-Half-hour or pan fry.
To make a saucier model, add in 1 cup of coconut milk after including within the Kashmiri chili powder and shredded coconut. Combine in, and produce to a boil. Simmer for two to three minutes, then add the eggplant, toss rapidly, after which swap off the warmth and serve along with your garnishes. You possibly can serve with rice, flatbread, or dosa.
Malabar eggplant is of course gluten-free, nut-free, and soy-free so long as you select a nut-free and soy-free oil.
Energy: 158kcal, Carbohydrates: 26g, Protein: 2g, Fats: 5g, Saturated Fats: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fats: 1g, Monounsaturated Fats: 2g, Sodium: 350mg, Potassium: 254mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 519IU, Vitamin C: 70mg, Calcium: 34mg, Iron: 1mg
Vitamin data is routinely calculated, so ought to solely be used as an approximation.
Elements and Substitutions
- eggplant – Use any sort of eggplant you want, and lower it into 3/4″ to 1″ cubes. Or use half eggplant and seven oz pressed and cubed tofu
- rice flour – Give the batter such a crispy texture when cooked!
- cornstarch – For much more crispy crunch and to assist the batter persist with the eggplant
- spices – Chopped curry leaves and cilantro together with garam masala, garlic powder, Kashmiri chili powder, and black pepper all season the batter. For the sauce, you’ll use mustard seeds, dried crimson chillies, extra curry leaves, and extra Kashmiri chili powder.
- inexperienced chili – A chopped Serrano pepper provides warmth to the batter.
- oil – So as to add moisture and crispness to the batter and to saute.
- onion – Provides umami to the sauce.
- shredded coconut – Offers the sauce richness and texture. Use contemporary or dried
- garnishes – Prime the dish off with cilantro, inexperienced onion, and lime juice.
💡 Ideas
- Soaking the eggplant in salted water offers it a tremendous texture whenever you cook dinner it.
- You need the batter to be fairly thick, however not so thick that you would be able to’t coat the eggplant. If you want to skinny it out, sprinkle in some extra water.
- For those who’re pan frying the eggplant, just remember to’re crisping it up on all sides, not simply the highest and backside.
- To make a saucier model, add in 1 cup of coconut milk after including within the Kashmiri chili powder and shredded coconut. Combine in, and produce to a boil. Simmer for two to three minutes, then add the eggplant, toss rapidly, after which swap off the warmth and serve along with your garnishes.
Methods to Make Malabar Eggplant
Chop the eggplant, in case you haven’t already, after which soak it in 4 or 5 cups of water with a teaspoon of salt, in order that the eggplant doesn’t brown, and it’ll crisp up higher whenever you pan fry or bake it.
Add the rice flour, cornstarch, chili, herbs, spices, and salt to a bowl and blend nicely. Then, add the oil and 1/4 cup of water. Combine nicely, including extra water a tablespoon at a time till you will have a easy batter that’s barely extra free than a paste. Then, add the eggplant to the bowl, and toss nicely to coat. If the batter is just too thick to coat the eggplant, you possibly can sprinkle in additional water whereas mixing, in order that it coats the eggplant rather well.
To Bake: Unfold the eggplant on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 415° F (213° C) for 15 to twenty minutes.
To Pan Fry: Add 2 teaspoons of oil to a big skillet over medium-high warmth. As soon as sizzling, add the eggplant and cook dinner till many of the edges of the eggplant are crisp and golden, and the insides are cooked. Remember to flip sometimes and get all sides of the cubes cooked and crispy, about 8 to 10 minutes. Put aside.
In the meantime, make the sauce.
Add the teaspoon of oil to the skillet over medium warmth, and as soon as the oil is sizzling, add the mustard seeds. Allow them to begin to pop, then break the crimson chilies in half and add them to the skillet. Add the curry leaves, as nicely, and blend rapidly, then add the onion and an excellent pinch of salt. Cook dinner till the onion is translucent, 4-6 minutes. Stir sometimes. Then combine within the Kashmiri chili powder and coconut, and proceed to cook dinner for one more 2 to three minutes.
Fold within the baked or pan-fried eggplant. You can even add splashes of lime juice, if the skillet is drying out an excessive amount of. Prime with the inexperienced onion, cilantro, and lime juice, and serve this instantly as a facet or as an appetizer with flatbread, naan, or tortillas.
Incessantly Requested Questions
Malabar eggplant is of course gluten-free, nut-free, and soy-free so long as you select a nut-free and soy-free oil.
You should utilize any kind of eggplant you want on this recipe. You can even make this with cauliflower. The baking time for the cauliflower goes to be round 25 to Half-hour. If you wish to pan fry the cauliflower, you must pre-cook it by steaming it till it’s al dente, after which coat it with the batter and pan-fry it. If utilizing tofu, bake 20-25 minutes. or pan fry 6-8 minutes
