The eggplant is a versatile vegetable that can be served in many different ways and is utilized in many cuisines. My earliest memory of this veggie was a dish that my mom used to make which involved fried slices of eggplant layered with meat sauce - Moussaka. That was mouth dripping yummy. In recent times a colleague of mine made some Vaangi Baath with the same and that tasted yum too.
My recipes use char grilled eggplants. I tend to use the medium sized ones. Switch on the gas and keep the eggplants on the grill till the skin starts to wrinkle and split open. Keep changing positions to ensure even cooking. You can make out they are done as soon as you start to see steam escaping through the surface of the eggplants. Allow them to rest for a while and remove the skin and cut the stems. The usual disclaimer applies - These are my versions of famous eggplant wonders.
Recipe 1 - Bhaigan Bhartha
Pour some oil into a hot pan and pop in a generous amount of chopped onions and garlic. Saute till transparent. Add some chopped tomatoes and continue with the Bhuna process. Add the awesome threesome of the spice world (turmeric, red chilli and coriander powder). When you see the fat separating from the mixture add in the char grilled eggplant and basically mash it in. You can add some tomato paste for color and additional acidity. Season to taste and there you go. A perfect accompaniment with a Roti of your choice.
Recipe 2 - Baba Ganoush
Mash your char grilled eggplant. Mix Tahini (This is a paste made out of sesame seeds) with some cold water to get a creamy, free dripping texture. Add in your mashed eggplant. Lots of finely chopped garlic. I am a big fan of garlic and use a lot of them in my cooking. A bit of cumin powder, paprika, chilli flakes because I love the heat and some coriander and you are done. As always do not forget to season with salt. Drizzle a bit of olive oil on top and what you have is a brilliant dip for those tortillas or for your 'lonely' pita bread.