Spicy Pan Fried Eggplant With Tomatoes And Yogurt Food

THE BEST EGGPLANT SHAKSHUKA

Steps:

• Chop onions finely. Dice eggplant and tomatoes into 1/2 inch cubes. Place eggplant in a colander, and salt it to draw liquids out. Mince garlic finely. If using a fresh jalapeno pepper, chop 1/2 a pepper finely.
• Heat a large pan to medium heat - the pan would preferably be either non-stick, or enamel-coated (trust me, you want something that you're not going to have to scrape eggs and sauce from). When pan is hot, add one TB of vegetable oil, and onion. Saute onion on medium heat for 5 minutes, then lower heat to medium-low and cook for another 5.
• When onions have turned golden, add 2 TBs of oil and eggplant cubes - but do not crowd them! It's better that you use less eggplant than crowding it, because it won't result in an even browning. Let eggplant brown for a few minutes, then when the eggplant has soaked up all the oil, add another TB of oil, and toss eggplant to coat. Continue browning eggplant for 10 minutes, turning pieces occasionally to ensure equal coverage, until all have coloured evenly.
• Add tomatoes to pan. Let tomatoes draw water on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until they all break down into a chunky sauce (this can take anywhere between 15 and 25 minutes). Add chopped garlic cloves and spices.
• Crack eggs into a bowl. Traditionally, eggs are simply poured into the shakshuka sauce, one egg per hole; but some people, myself included, prefer the eggs scrambled separately, and then mixed with a bit of sauce in their little nests. If you're unsure what you will prefer, try both methods.
• With a wooden spoon, create holes in the sauce for the eggs. Pour eggs into holes, one egg per nest (or a bit of egg scramble per nest, if going the scrambled route). On medium heat, cover pan (this is important!), and let eggs cook between 8 to 10 minutes, testing for doneness after eight (you want the whites of the eggs to set and change from translucent, while the yolk should still be a little jiggly). Squeeze the juice of half a lemon on the shakshuka.
• Sprinkle with chopped parsley, and serve immediately with a little bit of yogurt and crusty bread, to taste. Don't forget to sop up the sauce when you're done.

FRIED EGGPLANT RECIPE WITH TOMATOES

Steps:

• Wash the eggplants and slice them into 1/2-inch thick pieces.
• Place the eggplants on a baking sheet and generously sprinkle with salt on both sides. Let the eggplant sit for 45 minutes to one hour to "sweat out" the bitter liquid.
• Pat dry the eggplants on both sides with kitchen paper towel. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a non stick pan over medium heat.
• Once the oil is shimmery, fry the eggplant slices for about 4 minutes on each side until golden and cooked. If your pan is small, fry the eggplants in batches.
• Take the eggplants out of the pan and place them on a kitchen towel to absorb the excess oil.
• Cut the roma tomatoes in half. Heat one tablespoon olive oil in the same pan.
• Fry the tomatoes for 2 minutes on each side. Set them aside.
• In a small pan, heat the remaining one tablespoon olive oil. Thinly slice the garlic cloves. Fry the garlic slices until golden and crispy.
• Place the fried eggplants in a platter and top them with fried tomatoes and fried garlic.
• Serve with yogurt sauce.

SPICED EGGPLANT AND TOMATOES WITH RUNNY EGGS

Steps:

• Put eggplant in a colander in the sink and toss with 1 teaspoon salt. Let drain while preparing the nuts.
• In a small bowl, combine nuts, 1/4 teaspoon baharat and a large pinch of salt and pepper. Heat 1/2 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add pine nut mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant and toasted, 2 minutes. Pour nuts back into the small bowl and stir in lemon zest. Set aside for serving.
• Add 3 tablespoons oil to the skillet and heat over medium-high until oil thins out, about 20 seconds. Add enough of the eggplant to fit in one layer without overlapping. Cook eggplant until browned, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer eggplant to a plate. Repeat with more oil and eggplant, taking care not to crowd the pan.
• When all the eggplant is browned, push the last batch still in the pan to one side. Drizzle the empty part of the pan with a tiny bit of oil and add garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Return the rest of the browned eggplant back to the pan and stir well to incorporate garlic.
• Add tomatoes and remaining baharat, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a big pinch of pepper. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes and eggplant become stewy, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in herbs. Taste and add more salt, if needed.
• Make small hollows into the stewed eggplant with the back of a spoon. Gently crack an egg into each hollow. Season eggs with salt and pepper. Cover with a lid or piece of foil and cook on medium-low until the eggs are just set, but still soft, 4 to 7 minutes. Remove the lid, and garnish with the spiced nuts, more herbs and a squeeze of lemon. Serve with yogurt, hot sauce and more lemon wedges on the side.

SPICY STIR-FRIED JAPANESE EGGPLANT AND CUCUMBER

Steps:

• Trim off the calyx end of the eggplants. Cut in half lengthwise, then slice thin (about 1/4 inch). Lightly salt, and toss in a colander. Allow to sit for 15 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients. Squeeze out excess water, then dry between sheets of paper towel.
• Meanwhile, trim off the ends of the cucumbers. Cut in half lengthwise, then slice on the diagonal into 1/4-inch thick slices.
• Combine the rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, salt and sesame oil in a small bowl. Place all of the ingredients near your wok or frying pan.
• Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or 12-inch steel skillet over high heat until a drop of water evaporates within a second or two from the surface of the pan. Add the peanut or canola oil to the sides of the pan and tilt the pan to distribute. Add the eggplant. Stir-fry for three to four minutes until cooked through. Add the ginger and red pepper flakes, and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the cucumbers and scallions or chives. Stir-fry 30 seconds. Add the soy sauce mixture to the wok, and stir-fry one minute until the cucumber just begins to wilt. Remove from the heat and serve.

FRIED EGGPLANT WITH YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large skillet, season both sides of eggplant slices with salt and pepper. Sprinkle cumin over all of the slices (on one side).
• Fry eggplant slices in batches, they are done when they turn a light golden brown. Place cooked eggplant on a paper-towel-covered plate to drain off some of the oil. Allow to cool to room temperature, transfer to serving platter. Spoon yogurt sauce over the top just before serving. Garnish with chopped cilantro if desired.
• Yogurt Sauce: using a fork, beat the yogurt in a bowl with salt and pepper (to taste) until smooth.

JAMIE OLIVER'S EGGPLANT PARMESAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Brush both sides of eggplant slices with oil, and place in a single layer on two or more baking sheets. Bake until undersides are golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes, then turn and bake until other sides are lightly browned. Set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees.
• Meanwhile, in a large saucepan over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and add onion. Sauté until soft, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and dried oregano and sauté another 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and their juices, breaking up whole tomatoes with your hands. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 15 to 20 minutes.
• Add vinegar, basil and salt and pepper to taste. Into a 9-by-9-inch, 10-by-5-inch or 10-by-6-inch baking pan, spoon a small amount of tomato sauce, then add a thin scattering of parmigiano, then a single layer of eggplant. Repeat until all ingredients are used, ending with a little sauce and a sprinkling of parmigiano. In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs and oregano, if using, with just enough olive oil to moisten. Sprinkle on top. If desired, recipe can be made to this point and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before baking.
• Bake until eggplant mixture is bubbly and center is hot, 30 to 45 minutes depending on size of pan and thickness of layers. Remove from heat and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Recipe can also be reheated.

PANFRIED SPICY POTATOES WITH EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Peel the potatoes and cut them the long way into wedges, 6 to 10 per potato. Peel the eggplant (salt it if necessary; see page 456) and cut it into similar-sized wedges.
• Put the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet with a lid over medium heat. Wait a couple of minutes, then add the chiles, garlic, mustard, and cumin; cook, stirring, until the garlic colors and the mustard seeds pop, a couple of minutes. Add the potatoes and eggplant, along with 1/4 cup water and a sprinkling of salt and pepper, and cover. Cook for about 10 minutes, checking once or twice and adding a little water if necessary, until the vegetables begin to soften. Remove the cover and raise the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until both potatoes and eggplant brown nicely and become completely tender, another 10 to 15 minutes.
• Add the onion and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until it softens and begins to brown, another 5 minutes or so. Stir in the lemon juice, taste and adjust the seasoning, then garnish and serve hot or at room temperature.
• You can make these with or without the eggplant: In step 3, add 2 cups seeded and chopped tomatoes about 2 minutes after adding the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to break up, about 5 minutes. Serve as directed.