Baharat Braised Eggplant Recipes

TURKISH STYLE BRAISED EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Trim both ends off the eggplant, then use a vegetable peeler to peel alternating strips of the skin; dice eggplant into 1 inch cubes and toss with the salt in a colander for 30 minutes up to 3 hours.
• Rinse the eggplant well and gently squeeze out as much liquid as possible leaving cubes whole.
• Heat 1/4 cup olive oil, over medium high heat in a large skillet; add eggplant and brown slightly, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes.
• Remove eggplant with tongs and set aside, to leave as much oil as possible in the pan.
• Add remaining oil to pan along with the onions and pine nuts; cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent and pine nuts are lightly browned, about 7 or 8 minutes.
• Return eggplant to skillet with the tomato, raisins, sugar, cinnamon, cumin, and pepper; mix well, turn heat to low, cover, and cook, stirring once or twice, until the liquid has thickened a bit, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Remove pan from heat and let cool to room temperature, uncovered, about 45 minutes; stir in the dill and parsley, adjust seasonings and serve with yogurt and lemon wedges.

ORIENTAL BRAISED EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE)

Steps:

• Trim the ends of the eggplant and cut lengthwise into ½-inch thick slices.
• Arrange eggplant slices on a cookie sheet lined with paper towels and sprinkle both sides with salt.
• Let them sit 1 hour, then pat them dry and cut into 1 1/2-inch-long pieces.
• Heat a large flame-proof casserole or Dutch oven and add the oil and heat until hot.
• Add the chile paste and stir-fry for 5 seconds over high heat, then add the other seasonings and stir-fry until fragrant.
• Add the red onions and sauté about 1 ½ minutes, then add the red pepper and sauté another minute.
• Add the eggplant and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add the braising liquid (broth, soy sauce,rice wine and vinegar), cover, and heat until boiling.
• Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and cook about 12 to 14 minutes, or until the eggplant is tender.
• Uncover, increase the heat to high, and cook until the sauce is reduced to a glaze. Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle with the scallion greens.

BAHARAT BRAISED EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Trim ends off eggplant. With a vegetable peeler, cut off alternating strips of skin. Cut eggplant into 1-inch cubes, place in a colander over a large bowl and toss with salt. Let sit for 30 minutes to 3 hours, rinse well and squeeze to remove as much liquid as possible; do not break cubes up.
• In a large skillet or saucepan, heat 1/4 cup olive oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add eggplant cubes and move them around occasionally, until they are rather tender and somewhat browned, about 7 minutes. Remove from the pan with tongs, leaving as much oil as possible in the pan. Set aside.
• Add remaining oil to the pan with the onions and pine nuts and stir occasionally, until the onions are transparent and some pine nuts are lightly browned, 7 or 8 minutes.
• Return eggplant to the pan with RawSpiceBar's Baharat Spices, tomato, chickpeas, raisins and sugar. Mix well, then turn heat to low. Cover the pan and cook until the eggplant is very tender but still in distinct pieces, about 30 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking, stirring once or twice, until the liquid is somewhat thickened, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Remove the pan from heat and let sit uncovered until it is at room temperature, about 45 minutes. Stir in the feta, dill and parsley, adjust the seasonings to taste and serve, accompanied by yogurt and lemon wedges for squeezing.