Ingredients
Scale
- 1 medium-large eggplant
- 3 Tbsp olive oil or ghee
- 1/2 yellow onion (chopped)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp ginger powder
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 –1 tsp cayenne powder
- 1 heaping Tbsp garam masala
- 1 cup coconut milk
- ~200g spinach (4-5 large handfuls – the majority of a 227g bag of spinach)
- 1/4 cup cilantro (chopped)
- salt to taste
- (optional) 1 green chili pepper (finely diced)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Cut eggplant in half length-wise, then score diagonally into inch-wide diamonds, then place skin-down on a cookie sheet (I like to use tinfoil for easier cleanup).
- Spray or brush 1 Tbsp oil or ghee on each eggplant half and sprinkle with salt.
- Bake for 30 minutes.
- In the meantime, over medium heat saute onions in remaining oil/ghee (sprinkle with salt) until soft. If you want this spicy, add chili pepper here (this is good mild or spicy).
- Add garlic, ginger, turmeric, cayenne, and garam masala.
- Cook until fragrant, stirring constantly to keep from sticking. Before the spices start to burn, add coconut milk and stir well.
- When coconut milk is hot, add a large handful of spinach. The spinach will wilt down to nothing as it cooks. As it does, add more spinach.
- Remove from heat or let warm over low heat while you wait for the eggplant to finish.
- Once eggplant is finished, remove from oven and spoon out flesh from skin.
- Add to spinach mixture, stir, and cook until everything is warm.
- Stir in cilantro and add salt to taste – do not be scared of the salt. But don’t go crazy either! Salt is gonna make or break this bad boy, so if it tastes unexciting, you probably just need a little more salt to pull out the flavors.
Notes
*Turmeric is exceptionally good at causing stains. My dad was infamous for staining his clothes when cooking while I was growing up. The secret, if this does happen to you, after washing the item, let it hang/dry in the sun. (One of the benefits of cooking without a shirt.)
- Cuisine: Indian
