Figure Friendly Eggplant Bhareet

serves 4

 I feel eggplant has the power of dividing people into eggplant lovers or haters. My husband and I belong to the earlier group- we both love the flavor of roasted eggplant. This bhareet is our favorite side dish. I am not sure which group our children belong to, because they love Baba ganoush but refuse to touch this bhareet with a 10 foot pole. Oh well….more for us:)

My quick and easy version here is what I make many times especially during the cold months.During the summer months, I roast the eggplant on the grill. But as we are still waiting for warm weather in our neck of the woods, this is my indoor version. This version also works very well for a spontaneous cook like me, who usually does not plan meals in advance. I cook the eggplant in the microwave, until it is almost done and then finish roasting it for just a few minutes on the stove top. When done, I cover it with foil while I get the other ingredients ready. That little step makes peeling the eggplant skin a breeze!

This Eggplant Bhareet recipe with fat free plain yogurt, the onion,cilantro and green chilies, makes for a yummy, figure friendly side dish. I also add the grated coconut as I like the contrast in texture it lends to the dish. It is a home-style Indian cooking dish. I agree that it is not very photogenic but believe me it is simply scrumptious!

Ingredients-

• 1 medium sized eggplant, washed and dried
• oil to lightly coat the eggplant- about 1/8 teaspoon
• 1 very small red onion, diced fine
• 1 tablespoon cilantro leaves, chopped fine
• 2 small green chili peppers slit lengthwise (if you do not like your food hot, use 1 chili pepper)
• 2 tablespoons grated fresh coconut. I used the frozen grated coconut, thawed
• ½ cup plain, non fat yogurt. I used Desi Dahi
• salt to taste

To make the Eggplant Bhareet-

1. Coat the eggplant with a light coating of oil and prick the skin with a fork a few times. Put it on a microwavable plate and microwave on high for about 7 minutes, or until it is almost cooked.
2. Carefully remove it and finish roasting it on the stove top.

   

3. Remove from heat,cover with foil and set aside for a few minutes. Peel the eggplant and discard the stem and skin. Mash the eggplant and remove any stringy fibrous material.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Add the mashed eggplant, mix and serve. In an Indian meal, I serve it with dal, a vegetable dish like Palakchi bhaji, chappatis and rice

Hope you enjoy this smoky eggplant dish as much we do.

Love,

Sandhya