Spice Stuffed Baby Eggplants
- Total Time: 1 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
Description
It cooks for just a little bit on the stove and then gets finished off in the oven, gently simmering and softening in its own sauces.
Ingredients
- 2 lb (900 g) baby tender eggplants (about 15 to 20)
For the Spice Filling
- 2 tsp panch phoron (Bengali Five Spice) powdered
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) Greek yogurt
- 1 tsp amchur (dried mango powder)
- 3/4 tsp red chili powder
- 1 tsp salt
For the coating base
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) oil
- 1 medium red onion, cut into a dice
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) ginger paste
- 2 tomatoes, cut into a fine dice
- Salt to taste
- Cilantro for garnishing
Instructions
- Cut the eggplants halfway, almost all the to the top but do not separate from the top. Repeat the same on the other side, so in other words, cut into quarters.
- Make a paste with the panch phoron powder, yogurt, amchur, red chili powder and salt.
- Gently smear generously into the eggplants. Note, depending on the size of eggplants you might need more spice mixture, in which case increase in the same proportion mentioned.
- Set this aside for about 30 minutes.
- Heat the oil on medium heat for about a minute and add in the onion and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes, until the onions are fairly soft.
- Add in the ginger and the tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes are nice and soft.
- Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees and line the eggplants in a single layer in a casserole.
- Top the eggplants with the freshly prepared sauce and bake uncovered for 45 minutes. The eggplants should be nice and soft with a thick coating sauce that has meshed and married the stuffing spices.
- Serve the eggplants with chapatis.
- Prep Time: 45 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Category: Side Dish
- Cuisine: Indian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 90
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is panch phoron and where can I find it?
Panch phoron is a Bengali five-spice blend used in the filling — the recipe calls for 2 tsp powdered. It is a whole-spice mixture (typically fenugreek, nigella, cumin, black mustard, and fennel seeds) used widely in Bengali cooking and available at Indian grocery stores or online spice retailers.
What is amchur and what does it do in this recipe?
Amchur is dried mango powder — the recipe uses 1 tsp in the spice filling paste alongside Greek yogurt, panch phoron, and red chili powder. It adds a tart, fruity acidity to the filling that balances the heat from the red chili powder.
Why do the stuffed eggplants need to rest 30 minutes before cooking?
After smearing the spice-yogurt paste into the quartered eggplants, the instructions say to set them aside for about 30 minutes. This resting time allows the marinade to penetrate the eggplant flesh and the yogurt to begin tenderizing the surface before the long oven bake at 350°F for 45 minutes. 
