Grilled eggplant with a garlic-cumin and feta dressing
I am always looking for ways to pump up my eggplant. Summer always inspires me to go Mediterranean. This grilled eggplant with a flavourful garlic, cumin and feta dressing will make you a star with your guests. This dish looks really nice served on a platter with the luscious Mediterranean dressing scattered all over it. Get your favourite Mediterranean music on and enjoy this amazing side dish or appetizer with your friends or your inside bubble family.
All you need is one eggplant, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, one small chopped green onion, heirloom tomato chopped, crumbled feta, cumin, cayenne, fresh mint, and cilantro. It can be served as a side dish with chicken or lamb or as an appetizer with pita or a baguette.
Slice eggplant length wise, brush olive oil on both sides and add salt. Fire up the grill to 425 degrees F and grill for 3 minutes per side or till you see golden brown grill marks. For the garlic-cumin dressing, pound garlic and a pinch of salt into a paste. Combine garlic paste with lemon juice and let sit for 10 minutes. Add the green onions, chopped tomatoes, slightly roasted and crushed cumin seeds, cayenne, crumbled feta, mint and cilantro. Scatter the dressing over the grilled eggplant and serve.
GRILLED EGGPLANT WITH A GARLIC-CUMIN AND FETA DRESSING
Serves: 4-6
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 large globe eggplant
6 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
1 clove garlic
1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 chopped heirloom tomato
1/2 tsp roasted, crushed cumin seeds
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 cup crumbled feta (Vegan option can be used)
2 Tbsp coarsely chopped mint
2 Tbsp coarsely chopped cilantro
INSTRUCTIONS
Slice eggplant length wise, brush 3tbsp of olive oil on both sides and add salt. Fire up the grill to 425 degrees F and grill for 3 minutes per side or till you see golden brown grill marks. Set aside the grilled eggplant on a serving platter.
Garlic-cumin and feta dressing:
For the dressing, with a mortar and pestle, pound garlic and a pinch of salt into a paste. Combine garlic paste with lemon juice and let sit for 10 minutes. Add the chopped green onions, chopped tomatoes, slightly roasted and crushed cumin seeds, cayenne, crumbled feta, mint and cilantro. Stir all ingredients and pour the dressing over the grilled eggplant and serve. Serve as a side dish to lamb or chicken or as an appetizer with pita bread or a baguette.
Enjoy!
SPICY ROASTED ALMONDS AND CASHEW
I played around with this recipe and finally got it down to perfection. A few years ago, everywhere you went to get roasted nuts, the ingredients were always canola oil, maltodextrin and other ingredients whose names you couldn’t pronounce. My recipe has cayenne, himalayan salt, and water. Yes water!! I make these nuts for friends and family and everyone is always impressed. You can add as much spice as you want. I just make them spicy enough for my taste buds. My Dad used to love these. Thought I would make these today in memory of my Dad for Father’s Day.
All you need is raw cashews, raw almonds, cayenne, himalayan salt and water. First wash the nuts several times and soak for about 20 minutes. Studies show the longer you soak the nuts, the better. If you have time to soak them overnight, its better, but the roasting time will increase as the nuts will take longer to get that crunch.
After washing and soaking, mix cayenne and himalayan salt in 1/4 cup of hot boiling water and pour over nuts and mix thoroughly making sure all the nuts are evenly coated.
Bake for an hour and a half at 250 degrees F and keep stirring the mixture at 20 minute intervals. Leave the nuts to cool in the oven.
SPICY ROASTED ALMONDS AND CASHEW
Serves: 6-10
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 90 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup raw almonds
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp Himalayan salt
1/4 cup hot water
INSTRUCTIONS
Wash nuts several times and soak nuts in cold water for about 20 minutes. You can soak for longer but this will increase your roasting time. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Rinse nuts and set aside. Mix the cayenne and Himalayan salt in hot water and stir till salt has dissolved and add the mixture to the nuts. Stir, making sure the nuts are coated evenly. Transfer to a baking tray covered with parchment paper. Roast the nuts for about an hour and a half stirring every twenty minutes so they cook evenly. Leave the nuts to cool in the oven.
SPICY MANGO SALSA
This mango salsa was also developed with my childhood memories of buying spicy cut up mangoes from a vendor stand walking home from school on a tropical hot sunny day. The ripe mango, crunchy cucumbers, red onions and red peppers along with the tantalizing flavours of fresh mint, cumin and cilantro is absolutely to die for. The True Nosh Ghost pepper sauce does the trick here as it is perfectly spicy, sugar free, preservative free and gluten free.
Finely chop all ingredients and mix.
SPICY MANGO SALSA
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cucumber, finely chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
2-3 mint leaves finely chopped
2 green onions, finely chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped
1 garlic clove mashed
1/4 tsp cumin ground
Juice of two limes
1 -2 tsp True nosh ghost pepper sauce
Himalayan salt to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
In a mixing bowl, add all ingredients and mix. Refrigerate for an hour and serve chilled with Tortilla chips.
Enjoy!
SPICY MANGO SALAD
Mangoes were always sold on vendor carts in Uganda -split and sprinkled with lots of hot chilli powder and lemon salt. Memories of walking home after school during my childhood always include spicy mangoes. The mangoes were either raw, sour and crunchy or ripe, soft and sweet. When mangoes are in season here, I normally take advantage of using them in refreshing salads, salsas and drinks.
My recipes are rather on the spicy side as my memories of mangoes always include “hot and spicy”. One of my favourite salads in the summer is a good mango salad. I have tried various ingredients like jicama, cucumbers, peppers but I always loved the combination of green apples, red onions, jalapeños and ripe mangoes.
The ingredients sliced thin and evenly will make the salad more appealing and enjoyable. Jalapeños can be sliced long or chopped fine depending on your spice taste buds! For me, the spicier the better.
SPICY MANGO SALAD
Serves: 2
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 2 Prep Time: 5 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutesRating: 5.0/5 ( 1 voted )
INGREDIENTS
1/2 green apple thinly sliced
1 ripe mango thinly sliced
1/2 red onion thinly sliced
1/2 jalapeño thinly sliced
1 garlic clove mashed
1/4 tsp cumin ground
Himalayan salt to taste
Juice of 1 lime
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup cilantro chopped
1-2 tsp TrueNosh Ghost pepper sauce
INSTRUCTIONS
Slice all ingredients evenly and mix all ingredients together. True Nosh hot sauces are sugar free, preservative free and gluten free and perfectly spicy for my salad.
Enjoy!
COCONUT CHUTNEY
Growing up in East Africa, coconut chutney was served with all of our vegetarian snacks and with all of our barbecue meats. This favourite chutney will set your taste buds with sheer joy. As coconut was readily available in Africa, the coconut flesh was used to make this chutney. I use desiccated coconut as it is readily available and the chutney can be made in less than an hour to add to your bhajias, samosas, barbecue meats and pretty much anything really!
This chutney is super easy to make and only a few ingredients like coconut, cilantro, green chilli, lemon and a granny smith apple are needed. Soak 1 cup of fine or medium unsweetened coconut in 1 cup of water and 6 tbsp of fresh lemon juice for about 20 minutes. Wash and remove stems of cilantro and green chilli. Remove seeds from from the granny smith apple. Blend all ingredients including the water and lemon juice. Garlic can be added to make the chutney rise to another level but thats optional.
COCONUT CHUTNEY
Serves: 6-10
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 cup fine unsweetened coconut
6 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 cup cold water
1 bunch cilantro, washed and stems removed
1-2 green chillies, washed and stems removed
1 granny smith apple, washed and seeds removed and halved
1/2 tsp Himalayan salt
1 tsp garlic paste (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
Soak coconut in 1 cup of water and lemon juice for about 20 minutes. Add all ingredients in the blender and blend till you get a nice smooth green chutney. If you need to add more water, add a little at a time.
The chutney can be added to pretty much all the Indian snacks and barbecues.
Enjoy!!
TAMARIND CHUTNEY
Every amazing Indian or East African snack or barbecue needs a favourite condiment and it is always the popular sweet, spicy and tangy tamarind chutney. I love dipping all my bhajias(lentil fritters), cassava fries, and samosas in this flavourful chutney. This chutney is also the main ingredient for chaats and my favourite “channa bateta” (chickpeas and potatoes in a tangy tamarind sauce-recipe on blog). A tamarind tree produces a pod like fruit that contains a brown edible pulp used in many cuisines around the world. This pulp is squished into a block and exported all over the world. The main exporters of tamarind are the Philippines, Thailand, India and Africa. You can either go and buy a ready made tamarind chutney which usually includes names of ingredients you can’t pronounce or make your own clean chutney from scratch. Like all other things, I would rather make this tangy chutney at home in bulk and fill up bottles and freeze them. When you buy a tamarind block in a grocery store (normally in the Asian/Indian aisle) the label will always says “seedless”, but I always find seeds in every pack. Through experience, I have learned to find seeds through sieving and squishing every bit of the pulp. The process is a little over an hour long, but very worth it in the end.
The tamarind pulp is usually packed into a block. Break up the block into chunks before soaking for faster results.
Soak the tamarind and add the pitted dates and soak for 20 minutes.
In a pot add another 3 cups of water and add the soaked dates and tamarind with the water and bring to a boil. Boil the tamarind and dates for about 15 minutes and let the mixture cool. Sieve the mixture through and use your hands to go through the pulp, looking for seeds and removing them.
After removing seeds, add tamarind pulp, soaked dates and tamarind water and blend the mixture into a thick tamarind water. This water is used in the chana bateta. I usually fill up jars with this and when ready to use add spices to make a chutney.
The spices and crushed tomatoes are added to make the tamarind chutney.
TAMARIND CHUTNEY
Serves: 20
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 90 minutes
INGREDIENTS
400 grams tamarind paste (block)
3-6 cups water
227 grams pitted dates
2 tbsp crushed tomatoes
1 tsp Himalayan salt
1 tsp cumin ground
1/2 tsp cayenne
INSTRUCTIONS
Break up the tamarind into small pieces with your hands and soak the tamarind in a bowl hot water (3 cups) for 10 minutes. Add the pitted dates and soak both for 10 minutes.
In a pot add another 3 cups of water and add the soaked dates and tamarind with the water and bring to a boil. Boil the tamarind and dates for about 15 minutes and let the mixture cool. Sieve the mixture through and use your hands to go through the pulp, looking for seeds and removing them.
After removing seeds, add tamarind pulp, soaked dates and tamarind water and blend the mixture into a thick tamarind water. This water is used in the chana bateta. I usually fill up jars with this and when ready to use add spices to make a chutney.
Add spices and crushed tomatoes and mix for a spicy and tangy chutney. You can add more or less cayenne according to your spice taste.
CHANNA BATETA (CHICKPEAS AND POTATOES IN A TANGY TAMARIND SAUCE)
One of my favourite snacks while growing up in Kampala, Uganda was channa bateta. This dish was very popular in East Africa and many of the Indians from Gujarat often served this flavourful and tangy dish at their homes when entertaining. One just can’t resist seconds and thirds. I remember my elementary school canteen selling this amazing chickpea stew at lunch time and it was always sold out. This was also a very popular dish sold outside by street vendors on a Friday night after prayers. We used to socialize with a bowl of channa bateta served with crumbled up cassava chips and tamarind chutney drizzled all over it. I have captured the recipe to be similar to what my taste buds can remember as a 9 year old. The chickpeas used in my recipe are the garbanzo beans and the original used in Kampala, are the desi chickpeas (smaller and brown skinned). Both are great!
CHANNA BATETA (CHICKPEAS AND POTATOES IN A TANGY TAMARIND SAUCE)
Serves: 4-6
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup oil ( I prefer sunflower)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
10 curry leaves
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1 green chilli (your preference of heat)
6 large potatoes 3/4"cubed
2 tsp garlic minced
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp cayenne (optional-only if you want it spicy)
3 tbsp crushed tomatoes
1 cup tamarind water
3 cups boiling water
3 cups cooked chick peas
1 tbsp chana flour combined with 1/4 cup water (used as a thickener)
1 cup chopped cilantro
INSTRUCTIONS
In a medium pot, heat oil on medium high and add cumin seeds, black mustard seeds, turmeric, curry leaves and split green chilli. Add potatoes as soon as the seeds pop, and saute about 2 minutes.
Add garlic paste, ground cumin, sea salt, cayenne (optional), crushed tomatoes. tamarind water and keep stirring to combine all the flavours. Add the boiling water, cover and let boil around 20 minutes till potatoes are almost done. Add chickpeas and boil for another 5 minutes till potatoes are soft and tender. Mix chana flour and water in a little bowl and add the paste slowly. This will thicken the chana bateta (you can add 1 more cup of boiling water if the mixture is too thick). Lastly, add the chopped cilantro.
To serve this amazing stew, just ladle into a bowl, add crumbled potato chips, or cassava chips or chewdo (a savoury East African mixture of rice flakes, nuts, fried lentils which is amazingly crunchy) and drizzle tamarind chutney all over. Enjoy!
BABA GANOUSH
My favourite go to appetizer or snack is either baba ganoush or my Indian eggplant bhartho which is also one of my shared recipes. Baba ganoush is a really healthy plant-based snack with it’s main ingredient, eggplant. It is full of flavour and a great source of vitamin B, vitamin E, and fibre. When I entertain and my theme is Mediterranean, you can bet that Baba ganoush will be at the centre of the table with hummus, olives, pita, carrot sticks, cucumber sticks and red wine of course!!!
BABA GANOUSH
Serves: 4-6
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 dome eggplant
1 garlic clove minced to a paste or 1 tbsp of dried garlic minced
2 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp greek yogurt (or a non dairy yogurt)
1 tsp Himalayan salt
Juice of half a lemon
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp sumac
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat stove to 350 degrees
Wash the eggplant and remove the leaves leaving the stem intact. Brush oil all over the eggplant then cut one slit 1 inch deep from top to bottom and place on a baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes and increase temperature to broil. Broil for 10 minutes and turn the eggplant to broil the other side for another 10 minutes. Turn off the stove and let the eggplant rest for about 8 minutes in the stove. Remove the eggplant and let cool till you can handle it. Carefully remove the skin from where the slit was made and place the mushy eggplant in a bowl. Mash up the eggplant with a knife, fork or masher and add all the ingredients and mash till it looks like a yogurt dip ( I like it chunky). Place in serving bowl and carve out a little circle in the middle for the olive oil to sit in. Drizzle the olive oil, sprinkle the sumac and put an olive in the centre and voila!! Serve with pita bread, olives, red peppers, carrots and cucumber sticks.
INDIAN EGGPLANT AND YOGURT BHARTHO
I have always loved the combination of eggplant and yogurt. Growing up in Kampala, Uganda, my grandmother always made a family favourite passed down from her grandmother in Gujarat, India . She used to make me this amazing refreshing combination of eggplant, yogurt, some spices and fresh paratha which would be ready for me after school on a hot day. This snack was a family favourite and my son always asks for it when he comes home from afar. This refreshing dish is similar to the Lebanese, Baba Ganoush which is also one of my favourites and also on my blog.
INDIAN EGGPLANT AND YOGURT BHARTHO
Serve: 4
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 dome eggplant
1/2 tsp garlic paste
1/2 tsp green chilli paste (hot chilli pepper ground in a mortar and pestle)
1 tsp Himalayan salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 cup yogurt (dairy or non dairy)
1/4 cup green onions chopped
1/4 cup cilantro chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat stove to 350 degrees
Wash the eggplant and remove the leaves leaving the stem intact. Brush oil all over the eggplant then cut one slit 1 inch deep from top to bottom and place on a baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes and increase temperature to broil. Broil for 10 minutes and turn the eggplant to broil the other side for another 10 minutes. Turn off the stove and let the eggplant rest for about 8 minutes in the stove. Remove the eggplant and let cool till you can handle it. Carefully remove the skin from where the slit was made and place the mushy eggplant in a bowl. Mash up the eggplant with a knife, fork or masher and add all the ingredients and mash till it looks like a yogurt dip ( I like it chunky). Garnish with cilantro and serve with pita bread, vegetables, or spicy paratha.
Enjoy!
YELLOW MUNG BEAN CURRY (MUNG BEAN HUSKLESS)
YELLOW MUNG BEAN CURRY (MUNG BEAN HUSKLESS)
Serves: 3
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 cup yellow mung beans ( mung beans huskless soaked about 6 hours)
1 small onion chopped
3 tbsp sunflower oil (or any other cooking oil)
1 tsp whole cumin seeds
1 small tomato chopped
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp garlic paste
1/2 tsp ginger paste
1 1/2 tsp Himalayan salt
1 cup crushed tomatoes
Juice of half a lemon
2-3 cups hot water
INSTRUCTIONS
In a medium sized pot, heat oil and saute onions till they are fragrant and golden brown. Add cumin seeds and saute for another minute. Add chopped tomatoes, turmeric, cayenne, ground coriander, ground cumin , garlic paste, ginger paste, salt and lemon juice. Keep stirring for five minutes till spices and tomatoes are cooked through. Add soaked, rinsed and drained mung beans and cook for another five minutes. Add crushed tomatoes and continue cooking for two minutes. Add two cups of water and cook for 20-30 minutes on medium heat till mung beans are tender but not mushy. If you need to add more water to make the curry saucy, add more water. Serve with roti or rice or just add on a salad as a vegan protein. Enjoy!
VEGGIE PILAFF
VEGGIE PILAF
Serves: 4-6
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes
INGREDIENTS
3 tbsp sunflower oil
1 chopped onion
1 green chilli slit in half
1 1/2 tsp whole cumin
2 cardamom pods slit
2 cinnamon sticks
2 whole cloves
1 roma tomato diced
3 medium potatoes cut into 1 inch cubes
1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp garlic paste
1 1/2 cup frozen mixed vegetables
2 1/2 tsp sea salt
2 cups washed and soaked basmati rice
3 cups water
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium sized pot, heat oil on medium to high heat and add chopped onion. Once the onions are golden brown and fragrant, add the green chilli and cumin seeds; making sure not to burn the onions, add cardamom, cinnamon sticks and cloves; then add potatoes and keep stirring the mixture making sure the onions don't burn. Add diced tomatoes, garlic, ground cumin, ground coriander and salt. Stir mixture until potatoes are semi done.
Add water and once boiled, add rinsed and drained rice and frozen vegetables. Let boil until you see holes at the top. Cover and let it cook in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes until rice is cooked through.
You can serve pilaf with the spicy corn (recipe on my blog) and add kachumber ( a simple Indian refreshing side salad)
Enjoy!
SPICY CORN
SPICY CORN
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS
4 tbsp sunflower oil (or any other cooking oil)
1/4 tsp black mustard seeds
1/4 tsp whole cumin seeds
6 curry leaves
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
4 tbsp crushed tomatoes
1/2 tbsp ground coriander
1/2 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp garlic paste
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
3/4 tsp salt (I prefer himalayan)
1/4 tsp cayenne (or to taste)
3 cups frozen corn
3 tbsp chopped cilantro
INSTRUCTIONS
In a medium sized pot, on medium heat, add oil then add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, and turmeric. When seeds start to pop, add crushed tomatoes, ground coriander, ground cumin, garlic, salt, cayenne and lemon. Stir mixture for about 3-5 minutes then add corn. Cook until corn is coated and done (about 5 minutes). Add chopped cilantro and serve as a side dish with bbq meats and chicken tikka or with meat or vegetable/bean pilaff. Recipe for bean pilaff here and vegetable pilaff here.
Enjoy!