Curried Basil And Eggplant Fries Food

THAI BASIL EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add chile and garlic; cook and stir until garlic is golden, about 1 minute. Add eggplants to the fragrant garlic oil. Stir in water and cover. Cook, stirring every few minutes, until eggplants soften, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Uncover and stir in soy sauce, sugar, and salt. Stir well and continue cooking until all the water has evaporated and eggplant is coated with sauce, about 5 minutes. Add basil leaves and stir once; remove from heat.

EGGPLANT FRIES

Steps:

• Preheat broiler. In a shallow bowl, whisk together eggs. In another shallow bowl, mix cheese, wheat germ and seasonings., Trim ends of eggplant; cut eggplant lengthwise into 1/2-in.-thick slices. Cut slices lengthwise into 1/2-in. strips. Dip eggplant in eggs, then coat with cheese mixture. Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray., Spritz eggplant with additional cooking spray. Broil 4 in. from heat 3 minutes. Turn eggplant; spritz with additional cooking spray. Broil until golden brown, 1-2 minutes. Serve immediately with pasta sauce.

EGGPLANT IN CURRY-COCONUT SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat 1/4 cup of the ghee in a large pot over medium flame, add the onions and sprinkle with the curry powder. Cook and stir for a few minutes until the onions are soft. Add the cashews, shredded coconut, coconut milk, and vegetable broth. Bring up to a simmer and cook for 15 to 20 minutes. In the meantime, prepare the eggplant.
• Cut the eggplant into chunks. Heat the remaining 1/4 cup of ghee in a deep skillet or Dutch oven and add the eggplant. Cook and stir until the eggplant gets charred and sticky.
• Puree the coconut sauce with a handheld blender, until it's pretty smooth. Pour the sauce over the eggplant and toss in the cinnamon stick and chile. Season with salt, to taste, and simmer for 15 minutes until thick. Give a squeeze of lemon to brighten the flavor, garnish with mint leaves, and serve with steamed basmati rice and/or flat bread.
• Put the butter in a heavy saucepan over moderate heat, swirl the pot around to ensure that it melts slowly and does not sizzle or brown. Increase the heat and bring the butter to a boil. When the surface is covered with foam, stir gently and reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting. Gently simmer, uncovered, and undisturbed for 45 minutes, until the milk solids in the bottom of the pan have turned golden brown and the butter on top is transparent. Strain the ghee through a sieve lined with several layers of cheesecloth. The ghee should be perfectly clear and smell nutty; pour into a glass jar and seal tightly.
• Yield: 1 1/2 cups
• Toast the whole spices (coriander, cumin, fennel, cloves, mustard, cardamom and peppercorns) and the chiles in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, shaking the pan often to prevent them from burning. Toast for a couple of minutes until the spices smell fragrant. In a clean coffee grinder, grind the toasted spices together to a fine powder. Add the turmeric and give it another quick buzz to combine. Use the spice blend immediately, or store in a sealed jar for as long as 1 month.