This image courtesy of Jim Scherer
This dish is unusual and satisfying and it remains one of Moosewood’s elegant favorites. The serving of an entire half of an eggplant mounded with an exotically spiced potato and vegetable filling will silence anyone who thinks vegetarian food is bland, boring, and not filling enough. One doesn’t usually think of eggplant and Indian spices as comfort food, but this dish offers all the comfort of yummy mashed potatoes studded with diced vegetables and aromatic spices.
We admit it is a bit of a production, not something you would make on an ordinary Tuesday evening after work, but the steps are all uncomplicated and for special occasions or for more leisurely weekend cooking, your time will be rewarded with a really delightful dish.
If you’re serving fewer than eight. instead of halving the recipe, think about making the full amount of filling and saving the extra for other meals. It’s quite versatile. You can bake the filling in filo dough or pie dough to make not-fried samosas. You could add diced tomatoes instead of peppers and use the filling to stuff roasted pepper halves. Or, stuff small plum tomatoes to serve as an appetizer. Some of us make the filling to eat on its own. Both at home and in the Moosewood kitchen, sometimes it’s an effort to resist “tasting” the filling over and over before it goes into the oven!
Serves8
Preparation Time – TextAbout 1 hour and 20 minutes
Cooking Time20 min
Cooking Methodbaking
CostInexpensive
Total Timeunder 4 hours
OccasionCasual Dinner Party, Family Get-together
Recipe Coursemain course
Dietary Considerationegg-free, gluten-free, halal, kosher, peanut free, soy free, tree nut free, vegetarian
Mealdinner
Type of Dishvegetable
Ingredients
- 4 eggplants (about 1 pound each)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 6 cups peeled and sliced white potatoes
- 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
- 2 cups finely chopped onions
- 3 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 cup seeded and diced red bell peppers
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves or ground cardamom
- 1 1/2 tablespoons peeled and grated fresh ginger
- 1 cup green peas
- 12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature (vegan cream cheese works, too)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, more to taste
Instructions
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1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, more to taste Preheat the oven to 375°F. Oil two rimmed baking sheets.
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Slice the eggplants in half lengthwise. Score the flesh in a crosshatch pattern and lightly sprinkle with salt. Brush the cut surface generously with oil and place the eggplant halves on the baking, sheets, cut side down. Brush the skins with oil. Bake, uncovered, until the flesh is tender and golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes.
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While the eggplants bake, make the potato-vegetable filling. In a saucepan, cover the potatoes with water and stir in 1 teaspoon of the turmeric and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook until tender, about 15 minutes.
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Heat the oil in a saucepan on medium-low heat. Cook the onions and garlic, sprinkled with salt, for about 10 minutes, covered, stirring occasionally. Add the carrots and a tablespoon of water, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the bell peppers and cook, covered, for 3 or 4 minutes. While the vegetables cook, mix together the cumin, coriander, cayenne, cloves, ginger, and the remaining 1 teaspoon of turmeric in a small bowl Stir the spice mixture into the vegetables and cook on low heat for a minute or two. Stir in the peas and cook, covered, until all of the vegetables are tender, 2 or 3 minutes.
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When the potatoes are done, drain them. In a large mixing bowl, mash the potatoes with the cream cheese and lemon juice. Add the vegetable mixture to the mashed potatoes and stir well. Add more salt and/or lemon juice to taste.
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When the eggplant halves are done, flip them over with a spatula and make a well in each by pushing the flesh to the sides a little. Mound some filling onto each eggplant half right out to 1/2-inch from the edges. Transfer them to clean, oiled baking sheets or pans. Bake at 350°F until piping hot, 20 to 30 minutes.
2013 Moosewood, Inc.
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