Roasted Eggplant with Curried Yogurt

We spent three weeks cooking dinner nearly every evening from the cookbook  Ottolenghi Simple... read our cookbook review here. This was a delicious bite. Roasted slices of eggplant with layers of flavor and texture on top. We paired it with another recipe from the book, an herbed cauliflower salad. Fresh, flavorful, and filling. 

Serves 4 generously

Ingredients:

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. 

2. Use a vegetable peeler to peel away strips of eggplant skin lengthwise, leaving the eggplants with alternating strips of black skin and white flesh, like a zebra. Cut widthwise into rounds, about 3/4 inches thick, and place in a large bowl. Mix well with 5 tablespoons of the oil, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and plenty of pepper, and spread out on a large parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast for 40-45 minutes until dark golden brown, then set aside to cool.

3. Mix the yogurt with 1 teaspoon of Madras Curry Powder, the turmeric, lime juice, a generous pinch of salt, and a good grind of pepper. Keep in the fridge until needed.

4. Put the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil into a large frying pan and place over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the onion and fry for 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until soft and dark golden brown. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon of curry powder, the almonds, and a pinch of salt, and continue to fry for 2 more minutes, until the almonds have lightly browned.

5. When you are ready to serve, arrange the eggplant slices on a large platter or individual plates, slightly overlapping. Spoon on the yogurt sauce and top with the fried onion mix. Sprinkle with the cumin seeds, pomegranate seeds, and lime zest, and serve.

Recipe from Ottolenghi Simple by Yotam Ottolenghi