Hi Everyone, I have an idea to share with you. While it may not be original, I think I can safely say that perhaps many of you never thought of doing it. What is it? Fire-roasting eggplant and refrigerating the pulp for later use – such as a choka in a hurry.
If you have been following this column long enough, you’ll know that I have an undefined relationship with eggplant. You will also know that the only way I can tolerate eggplant (baigan), is if it is fire-roasted and then cooked, often in a choka. I have also taken to making a dry curry with the roasted pulp along with potatoes and tamarind.
Often, I’d like to make some baigan choka but the thought of having to roast eggplant and then remove the chard skin makes me change my mind altogether. Don’t forget cleaning up the stove. The other thing is that because I am only making choka for one person, it seems like a lot of trouble to go to for this choka.
This past week when I went to the market, I noticed that eggplant was in abundant supply – the big, thick, long purple-skinned ones and the white-skinned ones with streaks of lilac and pink. Man they looked so good. A plate of smoky eggplant choka and sada roti swam before by eyes. I bought way more eggplant than I needed and came home. As I emptied the bag, I shook my head and chided myself for getting carried away. I knew that there was no way I’d be cooking that eggplant before it started to wrinkle and get stale. That’s when the idea struck! Why not make one big job of it and roast all the eggplant and put it in an airtight jar sprinkled with salt and drizzled with oil to preserve it, so that whenever I wanted some baigan choka, I could have it in a hurry. Or even a curry. (How do you like my rhyming?)
So I grabbed a whole head of garlic, I usually average 1 clove of garlic per eggplant but this time I opted for 2 per eggplant because these babies were large. I peeled and sliced the garlic, made numerous slits in the eggplant and stuffed each slit with a slice of garlic. I fired up all four burners of the stove and set about roasting all 6 of my eggplants – 4 at time and then the other 2. I didn’t mind cleaning up the stove, after all, I knew the rewards of having choka in a hurry was well worth it.
Now I have my mason jar full of delicious smoky fire-roasted eggplant and garlic, the cooking possibilities are endless. Sure I can have the choka and curry in a hurry but I can also make Baba Ghanoush – the famous Middle Eastern eggplant dip made of roasted eggplant, tahini (sesame paste) or yogurt depending on which part of the region you are from. I can add the pulp to a pea-batter and make fritters.
The flesh can be mixed in with hot, boiled potatoes to make a healthier version of mashed potatoes with the creaminess coming from the eggplant instead of having to add cream or sour cream. I mash it and put it into meat stews and meat curries to thicken the gravy and so also make the dish a little healthier by having the vegetable in there.
One time I saw a recipe where someone cooked eggplant in their dhal and I tried it, man this was a completely different dhal, you should try it. Mash the pulp and add it half way through the cooking process of the dhal.
When the fire-roasted pulp is cooked in with tomatoes, basil and garlic – traditional marinara sauce – it brings depth of flavour and body to the sauce that can then be used to dress pasta, serve heaped over toast or on top of eggs, or eaten with bakes, rice or roti. See how many options I am giving you? We have to find new ways of using familiar ingredients and that is the beauty of cooking, there is so much to explore and to share.
Look, I’ve gone on long enough. I am going to make myself some choka. If you’re new to fire-roasting eggplant, here’s how it’s done.
Fire-roasted Eggplants (Baigan)
Ingredients
Eggplant
Garlic, peeled and sliced lengthways (average 1 clove per eggplant)
Canola oil
Salt
Directions
1. Take a paring knife, push the blade half way into the eggplant at a straight angle and then move the handle downwards creating a deep long slit (about 2 inches). Repeat making several slits all over the eggplant.
2. Take one slice of garlic at a time and stuff it into the slit pushing it in as far as possible. Repeat until all the slits are filled and all the eggplants have been stuffed.
3. Turn on the heat (gas stove) to medium, you don’t want the heat on high if not the skin will char quickly but the pulp will not be cooked through.
4. Place each eggplant on a burner, depending on the size of your eggplant, it will never fit perfectly, so place it on the heat and let it roast on one side (bottom or top), then reposition it to a part that is yet to be cooked. Keep doing this at intervals of 3 – 4 minutes until the eggplant is roasted all over. The timing will vary depending on the size of the eggplant. I used large ones and each took 16 minutes to cook.
5. Remove from the heat once the roasting is done and let it cool until you can handle it. Holding the stem, use a dinner knife and pry away the charred skin. It is perfectly okay if charred bits remain. Please resist the urge to wash the pulp clean. Washing would take away some of the nutrients and also the flavour you worked so hard to develop.
6. Cut off the stem and set aside the pulp. Repeat until you have finished cleaning all the eggplants.
7. Add the flesh to a bowl, drizzle some oil – enough to lightly coat the eggplant and sprinkle some salt. Use a rubber spatula to gently mix the eggplant, oil and salt. Transfer the mixture to a sterilized, airtight glass jar or bottle. Drizzle a little oil on top of the mixture, close tight and refrigerate. This can last up to 3 weeks in the fridge if unopened. If opened, use within 2 weeks.
Note: You can use Olive oil but hear in mind that the Olive oil will then flavour the eggplant and that will in turn flavour whatever you make with the roasted eggplant, hence my suggestion to use a neutral tasting oil.
PS: Tastes Like Home My Caribbean Cookbook will be officially launched on February 20, at Herdmanston Lodge’s Sunday breakfast. Cynthia will be available to sign copies of her book the day before – Saturday, February 19 – at Austin’s Book Store, Church Street from 10.30 am to 1 pm.
