Gujarati-Style Charred Eggplant (Olo)
This recipe has been adapted from I Am from Here: Stories and Recipes from a Southern Chef by Vishweth Bhatt, published in 2022 by W. W. Norton.
Ingredients
- 675 g | 1 big heavy eggplant
- 1 ½ tablespoons neutral oil
- ½ teaspoon brown or red mustard seeds
- ¼ teaspoon asafoetida optional
- ½ cup finely chopped red onion
- 1 ½ tablespoons finely chopped ginger
- 300 g | 1 ¼ cups chopped tomato 1 big
- 3 green onions white parts finely chopped, green parts thinly sliced
- 10 g | 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 ½ tablespoons chopped serrano chile seeded, if you want
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander or 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, toasted and pounded
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin or cumin toasted and pounded
- ½ teaspoon garam masala homemade or purchased
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Lime wedges optional
Instructions
- Char the eggplant to smoky sweetness: Use high heat on your biggest burner on a gas stove, perforated grill pan (see note below), or outdoor grill. Char the eggplant, rotating often until blackened here and there and smoky but not fully softened, about 10 minutes. (Turn on your exhaust if cooking indoor.) Transfer to a microwave safe plate. Slide into the microwave, cover with a splatter guard (see note below), then microwave on high power until softened and deflated, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Cover with an inverted bowl for loosen the skin, 10 minutes or longer. Trim the stem and remove the skin. Mash or chop the eggplant flesh.
- Make the mash: Reheat the skillet over medium. Swirl in the oil then add the mustard seeds until they start popping, 30 seconds. Dump in the onion and ginger, stir and cook until the onion is soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato, green onion whites, garlic and chile. Cook, stirring often, until the tomato has collapsed and little visible liquid remains, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the coriander, cumin, garam masala, and turmeric. Cook, stirring often, until aromatic, 2 to 3 minutes. Work in the eggplant and salt and cook, stirring often to develop flavor, for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Taste and add extra salt, if needed.
- Serve warm or at room temperature, garnished with the sliced green onion. Serve with lime wedges for anyone wanting a bright note.
Notes
How to char vegetables to smoky sweetness plus the pans you want to consider is all here in this article.
Microwave splatter guards are handy inexpensive tools. Learn about your options and get recommenations here.
