Tamarind Eggplant Recipe
This tamarind eggplant recipe from Rajasthan by Christine Manfield from her Indian Cooking Class cookbook makes one of the chef’s all-time favourite eggplant dishes. “I use it at any opportunity. I love its deeply satisfying sweet and sour notes,” Christine says. Serve it with other vegetable dishes on a shared table or as an accompaniment to grilled fish or barbecued meats.
Servings: 6
Calories: 328kcal
Ingredients
- 600 ml vegetable oil for deep-frying
- 4 300 g purple eggplants quartered lengthwise and cut into 3 cm pieces
- 3 small red onions peeled and finely diced
- 5 small green chillies minced
- 8 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tbsp fresh curry leaves
- 150 g brown sugar
- 400 ml tamarind puree
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp sea salt flakes
- 4 to matoes seeded and diced
- 1 cup chopped coriander leaves
- 3 tbsp fried shallot slices
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a wok or large pot to 180ºC (355°F).
- Fry the eggplant, in batches, for 4–5 minutes or until golden. Remove from oil and drain on paper towel. Set aside. Reserve the oil.
- To make the tamarind sauce, heat ⅓ cup (80 ml) of the reserved oil in a wok or frying pan over medium heat.
- Add the onion, chilli and garlic and cook, stirring continuously, for 1 minute or until beginning to colour.
- Add the curry leaves and cook for 1 minute or until wilted.
- Add the sugar, tamarind, cumin and salt and simmer gently for a further 5 minutes.
- Adjust seasoning, if necessary. There should be equal balance between the sweet, sour and salty flavours.
- Add the fried eggplant, stir to coat thoroughly and simmer for 3 minutes.
- Remove from heat, stir through the diced tomato and coriander leaves.
- Scatter with fried shallot slices to serve.
Nutrition
Calories: 328kcal | Carbohydrates: 83g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 936mg | Potassium: 895mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 71g | Vitamin A: 1087IU | Vitamin C: 124mg | Calcium: 130mg | Iron: 3mg