Spicy Eggplant Curry

I realize that not everyone is a fan of curry which I sort of understand. Back in the day I was too afraid to try it, thought it was way too cool for unhip, small town, WASPY me, way too exotic for my simple taste buds. But low and behold, when you grow up, you can shed your fears and gain some confidence, you experience the world a bit, you hesitantly test it out, and you discover that you not only like it, you love it. 

This revelation came to me when I went home to visit my parents for the week. My Dad just had triple bypass heart surgery and was told by the cardiac surgeon that he will have to make some changes to his diet, the standard less red meat and animal products, more grains, vegetables etc etc. Enter me, thinking that I can influence how my 70 + year old parents can better their diet by beginning to eat bulgur, quinoa, tofu and...wait for it....curry. I know, I know, I know, what was I thinking???...even when I was planning the meal out I knew it would be a long shot. But god love them, they tried it without complaint, they even emptied their bowls. I was very impressed. I think they must love me. Will they make a similar meal on their own again without me being there??? Ummmm, probably not. And I know this because when I asked Mom if she would like me to leave behind the curry powder that I bought (knowing that they wouldn't have any in their pantry), she politely said " No, that's ok dear." Ah, Moms. They never want to hurt your feelings. So my love of curry sadly could not be transferred to my parents, but that's ok. I tried and they tried and sometimes things just don't work out. I'm just happy that they gave it a go. 

 Most of the curries that I've made so far are quite mild and easy on the palate and stomach (especially the "beginners curry" that I made for my parents- see the blog post for that recipe here - I just added more veggies and less curry powder to make it more suitable for their taste buds.) I'm usually a bit of a wuss when it comes to heat. I have to say that this particular eggplant curry has some bite to it.. and I liked it. Of course the great thing about cooking your own food and being comfortable with changing up the original recipes is that you can taper the heat and tailor the flavours to your own personal preference (ie in the case of my parents, no curry or heat at all). 

 I think what I was most looking forward to in this recipe was getting to use some freshly made garam masala that a friend had given to me. My previous experience with this spice was using the bottled version which is ok, but I think fresh is better, much more flavourful, less fillers and preservatives. It's one of those spices that can vary greatly in taste, depending on region and family in which it originates. My particular blend comes from the Lahore region of Pakistan, and according to my friend,  "contains very basic spices resulting in a flavourful but not too hot blend."  As we all know, "heat" is relative depending on what you are used to!  Definitely a spicier dish than I have made before, but I can still pick out the flavours and enjoy the heat of this dish. It was especially delicious accompanied by some naan bread which I used to scoop up the veggies and to soak up some of the flavourful liquid left at the bottom of my bowl. Go ahead, try some curry if you haven't before. You might like it, you might hate it, or you just might love it and wonder how you lived life without it all these years. Cheers!

Spicy Eggplant Curry

Adapted from a recipe by Susan Voisin "FatFree Vegan Kitchen"

1 large eggplant
2-3 shallots, chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 zucchini, diced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp turmeric
1-2 tbsps diced garlic in oil (or 1 clove, pressed)
1 - 28 oz can diced tomatoes
2 tsps minced ginger
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 - 28 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
garam masala, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 F. Poke the eggplant with a fork several times and place on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes, or until the eggplant is soft and sunken. Remove from oven and let cool. Once you can handle the eggplant, peel off skin and chop up into cubes.

Heat a non-stick pan and add a light coating of vegetable oil. Add the shallots and garlic and cook until golden, 2-3 minutes. Add bell pepper and zucchini and cook for a few more minutes. Add cumin, coriander, turmeric. Cook until fragrant, 30 seconds or so. Add in diced tomatoes, ginger and cayenne pepper. Add in the diced eggplant and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes or so. Add chickpeas and some water, if required. Cover with lid, turn temperature to low and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in garam masala and salt to taste. Stir in chopped cilantro, reserving some for garnishing as well. Serve with rice of your choice, or bulgur. Went great with naan bread.