Curry Roasted Eggplant

This creamy and flavorful dish can replaced mayo-based salads as a hearty side dish or even serve as the main event for a vegetarian dinner.
By Colleen Hill

One of the most beautiful and versatile vegetables of summer’s bounty is the eggplant. It has a mild earthy flavor and a thick, smooth texture that makes it a perfect alternative to meat in a variety of dishes. Typically in the summertime, I simply season my sliced eggplant generously with sea salt, fresh ground black pepper, and a splash of olive oil before giving it a quick char on the grill (snooze)…but this week, I wanted to spice things up a bit, which is where this recipe comes into play.

Not only is this dish cool and refreshing, but it’s completely unexpected. Eaten as a side dish or as the main event (meatless Mondays anyone?), it gives a sometimes overlooked vegetable a chance to shine. This delicious creamy, curry roasted eggplant salad is an excellent substitute for heavy mayo-based potato or pasta salads, and is infinitely more flavorful. It’s tangy, refreshing zing would also pair well alongside a simple grilled protein such as skirt steak, chicken thighs, or fresh fish.

One of the keys to this dish is ensuring that your eggplant roasts uniformly without becoming to soft. Thus, avoid crowding your baking dish, as the eggplant will end up steaming, rather than roasting, which will yield a “mushy” result. Take the liberty to adjust the seasonings as desired, and keep in mind that the curry powder imparts a bit of heat, which you may want to adjust for sensitive palettes.