Indian Eggplant and Lentil Curry (Dal Bhat Meets Baingan Bharta)

There is always something fun going on in our kitchen….

As Rob likes to say, if something hasn’t been dropped while he’s cooked, then he hasn’t really cooked.

My nemesis in the kitchen is having my water boil over while I make steel-cut oats. I swear, it happens nearly every week. Mostly because after I get my oats simmering, I usually wander away to do other things… load/unload the dishwasher, get dressed, etc… and then I hear sputtering and I’m back in an instant to calm the oats.

I am pretty good about not burning things, though.

So, when I roasted some eggplants over the gas flame on the oven, Rob was alarmed when he smelled smoke from his upstairs office. Everything alright? he asked. He peered at my neat pile of 7 Asian eggplants, on fire on the stovetop.

I am roasting eggplants! They are supposed to turn catch on fire and turn black. Honestly! This fire is under control!

While in Turkey, I learned how to roast an eggplant to get that smokey flavour for the eggplant in Sultan’s delight. You need to do it over an open flame. Apparently the big fat eggplants here have a much tougher skin, so they suggested getting an Asian or European variety with a thinner skin. After you have charred the eggplant, carefully remove the skin while retaining all the juice. The smaller eggplants, though, turn this into a very tedious chore. But, yes, it was worth the efforts. You can’t duplicate that flavour without the fire.

I have been meaning to make the Indian roasted eggplant dish, Baingan Bharta, for the longest time. However, as it is vegetable-based side dish, I have found it harder to incorporate into my weekly meals. I don’t usually do the two-dish dinners. So when I spotted this Eggplant and Lentil Curry at The Kathmanduo, I knew I had a great combination.

Essentially, you are combining dal bhat (or just dal since there is no rice) with baingan bharta. The dal, alone, was superb. The fenugreek adds a more savoury note that is tempered by the typical Indian culprits of cumin, ginger and coriander. You could stop right there, throw in some rice and have an excellent meal.

Please keep going, though.

With the roasted eggplant, you create a smokey, sultry savoury mush. It wasn’t what I was expecting from a bharta, as I wanted something with more tomato presence. The smokiness from the eggplant was unbeatable, though. Now throw it into your dal. Mix the two together. Bliss, sheer bliss. And a complete meal: veggies and beans. Add your favourite grain if you are still so inclined.

Sadly, as much as I adored this dish, this will be the last time I will be able to roast anything on an open flame in the kitchen.

Not because it was a fire hazard, or that I had a lot of cleaning to do afterwards…

But rather, we discovered that the smoke really irritates Rob’s allergies. The house smelled like smoke for 2 days and for weeks, Rob had unresolved sniffles. It took us a while to pinpoint the culprit but I’ve conceded the eggplant roasting for now. Even though Rob agreed this was the best eggplant dish he had ever had. Not willing to risk anyone’s health, it will have to stay locked in our memories forever. 🙂

This is being submitted to Lisa’s Celebration of Indian Food, to Ricki’s Wellness Weekends and to this month’s My Legume Love Affair, hosted by Simona.

Indian Eggplant and Lentil Curry (Dal Bhat Meets Baingan Bharta)

Dal
1 cup red lentils
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1/2 teaspoon fenugreek
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1-2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (I used the juice from 1/2 lemon)

Roasted eggplant
2 medium eggplants (I used 900g of smaller Asian eggplants)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tablespoon cumin seeds
2 medium onions, sliced
1 teaspoon minced ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 large tomatoes, diced (2.5-3 cups)
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 tsp Aleppo chili flakes

1. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, ginger, fenugreek, salt, turmeric, cumin, and coriander and fry for around 3 minutes, until the garlic is golden-brown and the spices are fragrant.  Add the red lentils to the pot with 3.5 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a strong simmer, partially cover, and cook for 20-30 minutes, until lentils are almost mushy.  When fully cooked, remove from heat, stir in lemon juice and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, prick each eggplant a few times, then char the outside of the eggplants by placing them directly on the flame of a gas burner and as the skin chars, turn them until the eggplants are uniformly-charred on the outside. This can take anywhere from 5-15 minutes, depending on how smoky you want your eggplant. If you don’t have a gas stovetop, prick the eggplant and place the eggplant under the broiler until it begins to collapse and the skin blisters slightly, around 30-60 minutes. Once the eggplants are roasted, allow to before removing the skin with a sharp knife and chop the eggplant flesh into 1-inch chunks (this can be done a head of time).

3. Once your eggplant has been roasted, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cumin seeds and cook until they become fragrant and brown, approximately one minute. Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic, and cook until onions become soft and golden, about 3 minutes more. Add the tomatoes with their juices to deglaze the pan. Stir in the turmeric, ground cumin, coriander, salt, and Aleppo pepper. Stir occasionally and cook for five more minutes, to heat through. Add the roasted eggplant and cook for an additional 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure nothing burns.

4. Add the cooled lentils to the eggplant mixture and gently fold in. Stir well and cook for 10 more minutes.  Serve hot with rice, if desired.

Serves 4-6.